Page:The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma (Birds Vol 1).djvu/179

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DRYONASTES.
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a chorus from the rest urging each to do his best. They are not very shy, but from their habit of feeding on the ground in thick scrub are more often heard tfian seen. They appear never to be found in the phains and probably never over about 3,000 feet.

(122) Dryonastes chinensis leucogenys.

The Black-Throated Laughing-Thrush.

Crateropus leucogenys Blyth, J. A. S. B., xi, p. 180 (1842) (Upper Bengal, in errore),
Dryonastes chinensis. Blanf. & Oates, i, p. 74.

Vernacular names. None recorded.

Description. Crown and nape slaty-blue, the anterior portion of the crown streaked with white; cheeks and ear-coverts white; remainder of head to upper breast black; upper plumage and exposed parts of the wings rich olive-brown, outer webs of first primaries silvery-grey; tail olive-brown, the terminal quarter black; breast, sides of neck and upper abdomen ashy-grey; remainder of lower surface olive-brown.

Colours of soft parts. Iris red; bill black; mouth and eyelids plumbeous; legs fleshy-brown; claws horn-colour.

Measurements. Total length about 280 to 290 mm.; wing 110 to 115 mm.; tail about 115 to 120 mm.; culmen about 22 mm.

Distribution. The Southern Shan States, Tounghoo to the southern half of Pegu, Yunnan, ? South-West China.

Nidification unknown. Harington's eggs are very doubtful.

Habits. Harington says that this is a very common bird at Tounghoo. It has a series of fine notes which can hardly be called a song as well as many of the harsher notes of the genus. In general its habits are much those of the rest of the family. It is a favourite cage-bird in China.

The bird from S.W. China is probably Robinson and Kloss's new subspecies germaini.

I designate the type locality of leucogenys as Meetan, Pegu.

(123) Dryonastes cærulatus cærulatus.

The Grey-sided Laughing-Thrush.

Cinclosoma cærulatus Hodgs., As. Res., xix, p. 147 (1836) (Nepal).
Dryonastes cærulatus. Blanf. & Oates, i, p. 75.

Vernacular names. Tarma-pho (Lepcha); Piang-kam (Bhut.).

Description. Forehead, the upper part of the cheeks and round the eye black; ear-coverts black above, whitish tipped with rufous below; upper plumage and sides of neck rufous-brown, brighter on the greater coverts, the outer webs of the quills and on the head, the feathers of which have narrow edges of black; rump