juUund HC Richter, d el et h ffi.
Walter & Cohtv, Trm,
GARRULAX RUFICEPS , Gouid.
Red-crowned Garrulax.
Garrulax ruficeps, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Söc. 1862, p. 281.—Swinh. in Ibis, 1863, p. 282. -
T h r e e or four species o f Garrulax, with white crests or white throats, inhabit the higher regions of India;
these are the G. leucolophus of the Himalayas, its near ally the G. Belangeri of Tenasserim, and the still
more nearly allied G. albogularis. This section o f the genus finds a representative in the island o f Formosa,
in the present bird. All these large and conspicuously marked species present little, if any, difference in the
colouring and size of the sexes ; and move about the forests in small troops, in search of insects, which,
with their larvae, and berries constitute their principal foo'd.
Speaking o f the Garrulax nificeps of Formosa, Mr.,Swihhoe says, “ This species frequents the central
wooded range o f mountains, and very rarely descends to the lower hills that flank the Chinese territory. I
never met with it alive, and my hunters only succeeded in procuring a single pair. I t differs entirely from
all the Eastern-Asiatic species of Garrulax, but possesses many characters in common with the G. albogularis,
from Bootan and Mussoorie, in India.
“ Lores, space round the eye, and chin black; crown of the head bright rufous; cheeks light rufous olive;
upper surface brownish olive; wings hair-brown, broadly margined with olive, the tertiaries being almost
entirely of that colour; tail rich olive-brown, greyer on the two unspotted middle feathers, the next one
has a whitish mark a t the tip, the third a broad white mark, which increases in size until, on the lateral
feathers, it is one inch and four-tenths d eep ; throat and lower part of the neck pure white; centre o f the
belly less p u re ; flanks, axillaries, and thighs buff; vent pale buff; under sides of the shafts of the primaries
and tail-feathers whitish; under edges of the inner quills rufescent; bill black ; legs, toes, and claws light
flesh-brown.
“ In the pair I possess, there is scarcely any difference as to size or colour.”
The figures are of the size of life.