706. Cochoa purpurea

706. Cochoa purpurea.

The Purple Thrush.

Cochoa purpurea, Hodgs. J. A. S. B. v, p. 359 (1836); Blyth, Cut. p. 195; Horsf. & M. Cat. i, p. 390 ; Jerd. B. I. ii, p. 243; Hume, N. & P. p. 388; Hume & Dav. S. F. vi, p. 337 ; Hume, Cat. no. 607; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. iv, p. 3; Oates, B. B. i, p. 136; id. in Hume's N. & E. 2nd ed. ii, p. 110.

The Purple Thrush-Tit, Jerd.; Cocho, Nep.; Lho-nyum-pho, Lepch.

Coloration. Male. Forehead, crown, and nape lavender-blue; a narrow frontal band, lores, and sides of the head black, this colour extending narrowly round the hind neck ; the upper plumage ashy purple; wing-coverts, winglet, tertiaries, and the basal half, or more, of the outer webs of most of the primaries and of all the secondaries dull lavender; primary-coverts and remainder of wing black; tail lavender-blue, the inner webs of all but the median pair of feathers mostly black, and all tipped black; the whole lower plumage purplish brown, inclining to black on the chin and throat.

Female. Forehead, crown, and nape lavender-blue; a narrow frontal band, lores, and sides of the head black, this colour extending narrowly round the hind neck; upper plumage reddish brown; wing-coverts, tertiaries, and the basal half, or more, of the outer webs of the secondaries reddish brown; the basal portion of the outer webs of the primaries blue; remainder of the wing dark brown; winglet and the larger coverts near the edge of the wing and the bases of the primary-coverts suffused with blue; tail as in the male; lower surface reddish brown, paler than the upper plumage.

The young male has the wings and tail like the adult male; the forehead, crown, and nape black, barred with white; the upper plumage black, with fulvous streaks on the scapulars and lesser wing-coverts ; the sides of the head black, with a white patch on the ear-coverts; the whole lower plumage bright reddish brown cross-barred with black. A young male in August has nearly lost the fulvous streaks on the scapulars and lesser wing-coverts; the back is turning to ashy purple; the head is still barred with white, and the lower plumage is still barred as in the young bird above described. This plumage is probably retained throughout the winter.

The young female has the wings and tail like the adult female; the forehead, crown, and nape black, each feather with a broad subterminal white band; the upper plumage reddish brown, with pale fulvous stripes, which become elongated drops on the scapulars ; sides of the head black; ear-coverts centrally white : lower plumage reddish brown cross-barred with black.

Legs and feet dark plumbeous, shaded with black; claws dark horny-brown; bill black; gape dark plumbeous; iris red-brown ; eyelids dark plumbeous (Hume & Davison).

Length about 11; tail 4.5; wing 5.7; tarsus 1.1; bill from gape 1.3.

Distribution. The Himalayas from Kumaun to Sikhim ; Muleyit mountain and the Thoungyeen valley in Tenasserim. This species is no doubt a permanent resident up to at least 8000 feet.

Habits, &c. A nest said to belong to this species, and found by Mr. Home at Binsur, in Kumaun, was a cup made of moss placed in a small tree. The egg was greenish thickly blotched with brown.