Page:The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma (Birds Vol 2).djvu/172

158 Binyham, S. F. viii, p. 195, ix, p. 177 ; Gates, B. B. i, p. 8 ; Hume, 8. F. xi, p. 124 ; Gates in Hume's N. $ E. 2nd ed. ii, p. 109. Zoothera monticola, BL, apud Godiv.-Auit. J. A. S. B. xli ; pt. ii, p. 142 (Jide Wald. in BL Birds Burm. p. 100 n).

Geocichla marginata (Blytk), Seebohm, Cat. B. M. v ; p. 162.

Coloration. The whole upper plumage olive-brown tinged with rufous, especially on the outer webs of the quills, all the feathers margined darker, causing a scaly appearance ; tips of the median and greater coverts ochraceous ; tail brown, indistinctly cross-rayed, and the outer feathers paler ; sides of the head mixed fulvous and dark brown ; chin, throat, middle of breast, and abdomen white, with brown tips and margins; sides of the throat, breast, and body dark olive-brown, the feathers of the sides of the throat and upper breast with darker centres ; under tail-coverts pale buff, the feathers broadly margined with olivaceous at the sides ; auxiliaries basally white, then black ; under wing-coverts basally black, and then white.

Bill very dark horny brown, lower mandible reddish from angle of gonys to base ; iris dark brown ; legs and feet dark brown (Hume Coll.).

Length about 10 ; tail 3 ; wing 4'9 ; tarsus 1-1 ; bill from gape 1-5.

Distribution. Sikhim ; Bhutan ; the whole of the Eastern portion of the Empire from the Brahmaputra river to the extreme south of Tenasserim. This species is probably a permanent resident throughout its range.

Habits, &fc. Mr. Grammie found the nest of this Thrush in Sikhim at the end of May a cup composed of moss and fibres and placed on a low branch of a tree. The eggs were three in number, and one of these is described by Hume as being very pale greenish white much marked with ferruginous-brown and pinky purple. It measured 1*05 by '79.

Genus COCHOA, Hodgson, 1830.

The genus Cochoa contains two species, the position of which remained doubtful for many years. An examination of the young of these birds, however, clearly proves, as shown by Hume, that they belong to the Turdince.

In Cochoa the sexes differ and the plumage of both sexes is very brilliant. The bill is short and very broad at the base ; the nostrils are large exposed ovals ; the rictal bristles are obsolete ; the wing is long and pointed, and the first primary minute ; the tail of moderate length, and the tarsus short.

The Thrushes of this genus inhabit forests, go in pairs or small fiocks, feed both on the ground and on trees, and have a harsh note. They make cup-shaped nests in trees, and lay spotted eggs. They are non-migratory.