HanTiarl imp.
IfER IL LA A L B IC E P S .
WHITE-HEADED OHZEL.
Turdus albiceps, Swinhoe, Ibis, 1864, p. 363; David & Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 150 (1877).
Merula albiceps, Seebohm, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. v. p. 259 (1881).
M. n ig ra : rostro et pedibus flavis : subtus castanea: pileo colloque pore albis.
T h is very distinct species of Ouzel seems to be entirely confined to the island of Formosa, where
it was first met with by the late Consul Kobert Swinhoe in the mountains of Tamsuy. The typical
example was procured by him in March 1864, and he obtained further specimens at Choloshan, in'
Central Formosa, in September and October 1865. In November 1893, the late Mr. Holst also'
procured examples at Lak-ku-li, in Formosa.
Adult male. General colour above black from the nape downwards and including the wings and
ta il; crown of head and nape, sides of face, and entire throat, pure white; fore-neck black, forming
a band which joins the sides of the n e ck ; breast and abdomen dark cinnamon-rufous, browner on
the former; the flanks also somewhat dusky, with many of the feathers externally dark ashy; thighs
black, with rufous margins; under tail-coverts black, broadly centred with white; under wing-
coverts and axillaries, as well as the quill-lining, black: “ bill fine orange; feet and toes more dusky
orange ” j j l Swinhoe). Total length 9 inches, culmen 0*95, wing 4-75, tail 3*2, tarsus 1*25.
Adult female. Browner than the male, the brown of the back shading off into dark slaty-grey
on the lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts; wing-coverts like the back; quills dark sepia
brown, externally brown like the ba ck ; tail-feathers blackish, dark slaty-grey externally; crown or
head brown like the back; sides of face and a narrow collar round the hind-neck white, mottled
with brown spots; throat pure white, with a few brown spots, especially along the malar line;
remainder of under surface of body deep cinnamon-rufous, shaded with brown on the chest and on
the flanks; thighs brown, with rufous edges to the feathers; under tail-coverts white, with brown
margins; under wing-coverts and axillaries dusky brown, edged with rufous; quills dusky brown
below, with narrow rufous margins to the inner webs. Total length 8*5 inches, culmen 0*9,
wing 4*4, tail 2*65, tarsus 1*2.
Young. Similar to the old female, but browner, and with the head brown like the back, the
sides of the crown being white; the head and back streaked with mesial shaffc-lines of buff, widening
out into triangular spots at the end of the wing-coverts; sides of face, ear-coverts, and throat white,
the former spotted with brown, the cheeks separated from the throat by a malar line of dusky brown
spots; remainder of under surface of body dull orange-buff, mottled with narrow blackish bars at the
ends of the feathers: “ bill yellow, washed with olive-brown; rictus and inside of mouth orange-
yellow; feet and claws brownish yellow” ( iI. Swinhoe).
Immature birds often show spots of dusky brown on the white head and neck.
The male described was obtained by Holst at Lak-ku-li, in Formosa, on the 13th of November,
1893, and the figure in the Plate is taken from the type. The female described and figured
was procured by Consul Swinhoe at Choloshan, in Central Formosa. All are in the Seebohm
Collection. f i l ¡H S.]