GEOCICHLA ALBIGULARIS, Blyth.
NICOBAR GROUND-THRUSH.
Geocichla aliogularis, Blyth, 9 A. I Beng. xvi. p. 146 (1847) ; Hume, Str. F. 1 p. 221 (1874
pt Jg S e e b o hm , Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., v. p. 175 (1 8 8% Oates, Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds, u. p. 142
(1890).
G. píleo et g a s t a aurantiaco-castaueis : dorso et teetricibus alarum schistaoeo-cmereis, immaculatis : gull altó.
T he present species was discovered in 1846 on the Nicobar Islands by Captain Lewis and the
Rev. J. Barbe, and in the following year was described by Blyth as doubtfully distinct under
the name of geocichla alboffularis {I. s. c.). The types are still, in the Calcutta Museum
i c f . 'W » iS ela ter , Ibis, 1892, p. 81). . : ~ . . .
In 1849, Blyth appears to have changed his opinion as to the specific validity ot his
G. albogularis, for he recorded it as the female of G. innot'ata (Cat. B. Mus. As. Soc. Beng. p. 163).
Mr A. O. Hume was the first to point out that Blyth was wrong in uniting these two species; but
he' himself was wrong in identifying it with the Geocichla of the Andamans (Stray Feathers, n.
p. 221), an opinion to which he adhered, even after the latter species had been separated as
distinct by Tweeddale \cf. Hume, Stray Feathers, iv. p. 289). In 1881, however, after an examination
of the specimens in the Tweeddale Collection, I came to the conclusion that the Andaman and
Nicobar birds were distinct. #
G. albigularis is an intermediate species between Geocichla andamanensis and Geocichla mnotata,
agreeing with them and differing from the other orange-headed species in having no white tips to
the median wing-coverts. The white on the throat, a character which it shares with Geqetchla\
cyanonota, serves to distinguish it from both these species.
The adult male may be described as f o l l o w s ■
Entire head and sides of the neck rather dark orange-chestnut; the rest of the upper parts
rather dark greyish blue, each feather with a darker centre ; lores nearly white ; eye-stripe obsolete;
lesser wing-coverts greyish-blue; median wing-coverts greyish-blue; greater wing-coverts greyish-
blue, with dark brown inner webs; primary-coverts greyish-blue, with dark brown inner webs; tertials
greyish-blue; secondaries and primaries brown, more or' less margined on the outer webs with
greyish-blue; centre' tail-feathers and outer webs of the others bluish-grey, the rest brown; ear-
coverts dark orange-chestnut with white bases; underparts orange-chestnut, shading into white
on the chin, throat, centre of belly, thighs, and under tail-coverts, the latter with grey patches on
the outer webs; axillaries bluish-grey with white bases; lower primary-coverts bluish-grey; lower
secondary-coverts white, with bluish-grey bases.
Geocichline markings on inner webs of quills, white.
Bill dark, paler at the base of the under mandible; second primary about equal to the seventh;
legs, feet, and claws pale ; outer tail-feathers 0T5 shorter than the longest.
Length of wing 4'2 to 3'9 inches, tail 2-9 to 2-6 inches, culmen 0'85 to 0'79 inch; bastard-
primary slightly longer than the primary-coverts, its exposed portion measuring 1*1 to 0 8 inch.
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