Length of wing 4*25 to 4*15 inches, tail 3*25 to 8'1 inches, culmen 1*0 to 0*85 inch, tarsus 1*4
to 1*3 inch; bastard-primary projecting about 0*1 inch beyond the primary-coverts, its exposed
portion measuring 1*0 to 0*85 inch.
Young in first plumage are unknown. Females are believed to resemble males in colour.
In spite of the fact that P6ron’s Ground-Thrush has the underparts unspotted, and the black
bands across the ear-coverts as in Geocichla princii, and that it differs so widely in the colour of the
underparts from Geocichla erythronota, there are reasons why it should be regarded as most nearly
allied to the latter species. That they are the only two Ground-Thrushes which are orange-chestnut
above from crown to upper tail-coverts is, perhaps, not of much importance; but that no other
Ground-Thrushes have white margins to the unemarginated outer webs of the primaries, and have
white at the bases of the outer webs of the secondaries, suggests the probability that these characters
have been inherited from common ancestors and have not been independently acquired.
The figure on the Plate to the left of Geocichla erythronota represents an example in my
collection; it was obtained on the island of Timor by Mr. Wallace during his celebrated voyage to
the Malay Archipelago.
Vieillot’s type was figured in 1855 (Pucheran, c Archives du Musee d’Histoire Naturelle,’ vii.
plate 19) and is sufficiently well drawn and coloured to leave no doubt as to the identification. -
GEOCICHLA ERYTHRONOTA, Sclater.
CELEBEAN GROUND-THRUSH.
Geocichla erythronota, Sclater, Ibis, 1859, p. 113.
Turdus erythronotws, Gray, Hand-1. B. i. p. 260, no. 3795 (1869).
G. tectricibus alarum mediis et majoribus albo terminatis : notseo castaneo: hypochondriis nigro maculatis.
Thi present species was discovered by Dr. Alfred Russel Wallace near Makassar in the island of
Celebes. It appears to be confined to this island, and to occur both in the southern and northern
parts. Dr. Meyer has procured it near Menado in the north.
Dr. Meyer, who spent some months in Celebes, from December 1870 to November 1871,
and revisited the island for a short time in 1873, states that he observed this species five miles from
Menado on the way to Lotta in February and March, at Tumumpat near Menado in March, and in
the churchyard of the Europeans at Menado from April to July. It-lives on the ground and is very
shy, so that it can only be shot from some distance away. The crops of those he dissected contained
beetle?.
Geocichla erythronota agrees with G. leucolwma and G. interpres in having the crown and nape
very rufous, the breast black, and the flanks spotted with black, a combination not found elsewhere
in the genus. Its rufous back and nearly black tail distinguish it from both its allies.
It appears to be most nearly related to Geocichla interpres, and is also possibly related to
Geocichla schistacea. It agrees with the former in the chestnut of its crown and nape, and m its
nearly white lores, and with both species in the colour of its wings and underparts, but it possesses
no character in common with G. schistacea which G. interpres does not also possess. On the other
hand, it agrees with Geocichla peronii in the colour of its mantle, rump, and upper tail-coverts. It is
unquestionably nearly allied to the latter species, which agrees with it and differs from every other
species of the genus, except newly moulted examples of Geocichla wardi, in having the outer webs
of the primaries (but not of the secondaries) conspicuously margined with white.
The1 adult male and female may be described as follows :—General colour of the upper parts
orange-chestnut; lores white; eye-stripe black; lesser wing-coverts black; greater and median wrng-
coverts black, with large white terminal fan-shaped spots; primary-coverts black; scapulars and
tertials black; secondaries nearly black, with a white patch near the base of the outer web;
primaries dark brown, with the unemarginated portion of the outer webs margined with white;
tail-feathers nearly black, the outer pair with a deep (1J inch) terminal web of white, and the two
next pairs more or less tipped with white ; ear-coverts black, with a large white patch in the centre;
chin, throat, and sides of the neck black, below which is a white collar; rest of the underparts white,
with black crescentic spots on the breast and flanks; axillaries dark brown, with white bases ;
lower primary-coverts black; lower secondary-coverts white, with black bases.
Geocichline markings on inner webs of quills, white.
Bill black. Second primary intermediate in length between the sixth and seventh; tarsi,
feet, and claws very p a le ; outer tail-feathers very slightly shorter than the longest; length of wing