J.GJCeulemans lieh.
GEO CICHLA MLGIRIENSIS
GrEOCICHLA NILGIEIENSIS [Blyth).
N ILGIRI GEOTJND-THEUSH.
Turdùs vanita (neo Pall.), Jerd. Madr. Joum. xiii. p. 168 (1844).
Oreocincla neilgherriensis, Blyth, J. A. S. Beng. xvi. p. 141 (1847).
Turdus nilgiriensis, Gray, Hand-1. B. i. p. 254, no. 3692 (1869).
Geocichla nilgiriensis, Seebohm, Cat. Birds Brit. Mns. y . p., 157 (1881).
Oreocincla nilghiriensis, Oates, Fann. Brit. Ind., Birds, ii. p. 153 (1890).
G. saprà rufescenti-hrunnea, nigro lunulata: pileo ochraceo variegato ■. rectricibus 18, maculis terminalibus albis
inconspicuis, haud 25 millim. : cauda 9 4 -8 4 millim.
T he present species is an inhabitant of the hills of Southern Tndia. The late Mr. Davison records
it from the higher ranges of the Nilgiris and the Brahmagherries ; Capt. Horace Terry found it
nesting on the Palani Hills ; and Mr. Bourdillon states that in Travancore it frequents the thick
jungle from 2000 to 5000 feet above the level of the sea. Its reputed occurrence in Ceylon is
doubtless based upon error,
Mr. Davison says that this Thrush is usually seen singly, sometimes in pairs, but is everywhere
a rare bird. He describes it as a glorious songster, whose rich and varied song can be heard for
nearly a mile. Mr. Rhodes Morgan, on the other hand, says that it appears to have no song, but
utters every now and then a single clear warbling note. The same observer says that it may usually
be seeu on the topmost branch of some large shola-tree late in the evening. According to
Mr. Morgan, the species breeds from March to June in the Nilgiris, the nest being very like that of
Menila similiima, usually containing three eggs, of a pale greenish-blue colour, minutely speckled
with rusty brown. Captain Terry likens the eggs to small examples of the Common Jay’s, and the
nest which he found on the Palanis was built in the fork o f a tree about fifteen feet from the ground ;
it was composed of green moss lined with fine roots, with some fern mixed up in its foundation—a
large shallow cup, compactly put together, 3'75 inches across and 1*75 inch deep inside, 6 inches
across and 3 inches deep outside. It will be noticed that Mr. Morgan’s account of the position of
the nest differs from that given by Captain Terry, inasmuch as he states that he found the nest
invariably on some low tree from six to eight feet above the ground.
Geocichla nilgiriensis very closely resembles G. heinii, but is distinguished from it by several
good characters. In the general colour of the upper and under parts there is no difference between
the two species : the brown of the upper parts is of the same shade of russet, the black crescentic
markings are equally narrow on the rump and upper tail-coverts, the white of. the underparts
is suffused with buff on the breast to the same extent. These two species are the only ones in the
sub-genus Oreocincla in which the Geocichline markings on the inner webs of the quills are, so far
as is known, always white ; in all the other species, except in what are probably fully-adult examples,
they are buff.
There is scarcely any difference in the measurements of Geocichla nilgiriensis and Geocichla
heinii, and the wing-formula is almost precisely the same, except that occasionally examples of the
Indian species have the second primary slightly shorter than the sixth, and the first primary