MERULA ALBOCINCTA.
White-collared Merula.

Turdus albocinctus et albicollis, Royle, Ill. Himalayan Bot., tab. 8. fig. 3.—Gray and Mitch. Gen. of Birds, vol. i.
p. 219.—Gray, Cat. of Spec. and Draw. of Mamm. and Birds pres. to Brit. Mus. by B. H. Hodgson,
Esq., p. 81.—Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., p. 274.

Merula albocincta, Blyth, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Beng., vol. xvi. p. 148.—Ib. Cat. of Birds in Mus. Asiat. Soc. Calcutta,
p- 162.—Horsf. and Moore, Cat. of Birds in Mus. East Ind. Comp., vol. i. p. 197.

Turdus collaris, Sorel, Rev. Zool. 1840, p. 2.

Merula nivicolis, Hodgs. in Gray’s Zool. Misc. 1844, p. 83.

 

Tue late Dr. Forbes Royle, who by his writings on botany and natural history and many other acquirements
distinguished himself as one of the most valuable of the servants of the Honourable East India Company,
had the pleasure of first naming this interesting Ouzel, Thrush, or Blackbird—whichever British ornithologists
may think proper to apply to it as a trivial name. Dr. Royle (for what reason cannot now be known) gave
it two distinctive appellations, Turdus albocinctus and T. albicollis; it is also the Merula nivicollis of Mr.
Hodgson, and the Zurdus collaris of Sorel; all these specific names are equally applicable to it; but it is
to be regretted that our systems should have been burdened with four appellations where one would surely
have been sufficient.

It must, I think, be admitted that the present bird and MZ. castanea are two most intimately allied species,
so much so that it has almost induced me to believe that they are identical; and I throw out this hint to
direct the attention of ornithologists to the point, especially those resident in India, rather than aver that
such is the case. Jn their relative admeasurements the two birds are as nearly alike as possible.

Like the MW. castanea, the M. albocincta is a native of Nepal and the more western parts of the Himalayan
range, but does not ascend either to the cold region of the snow-line, nor, I believe, descend to the hot
forests of the Terai.

The female has all the markings of the male, but her colouring is much less bright and defined; the
crown of her head, her back, wings, and tail are brown, while the collar and throat are brownish white.

The male has the head, cheeks, nape, the entire plumage of the upper and under surface, the wings and
tail brownish black; throat buffy white slightly striated with brown ; lower part of the neck and breast buffy
white; round the back of the neck a collar of buffy white stained with brownish grey posteriorly ; bill and
eyelash orange-yellow ; the legs appear to have been the same, but duller.

The Plate represents both sexes of the natural size.