Purple Cochoa

SCI Name:  Cochoa purpurea
Protonym:  Cochoa purpurea J.Asiat.Soc.Bengal 5 p.359
Taxonomy:  Passeriformes / Turdidae / Cochoa
Taxonomy Code:  purcoc1
Type Locality:  Nepal.
Author:  Hodgson
Publish Year:  1836
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

COCHOA
(Turdidae; † Green Cochoa C. viridis) Nepalese name Cocho for the cochoas; "These birds are not generally or familiarly known to the Nipalese, but the foresters, whom I have met with, denominate them Cocho: and by that name, latinised into Cochoa, I have designated them generically in my note book.  As a Meruline genus, placed close to Turdus, the following characters may perhaps serve to mark them.  Wings, tail, and feet, as in Turdus.  Tarsi rather lower and tail somewhat longer.  Bill straight, considerably depressed; the maxilla excided beyond the centre by the nasal fosse: the nostrils very large, and nearer to tip than to gape.  Head crested as in Garrulus.  The two species at present known to me I shall call, by their prevalent colour, Viridis and Purpurea.   ...   Cochoa purpurea.  Purple Cocho, Mihi.   ...   Co. Viridis. Green Cochoa, Mihi.   ...   The following more particular description of the several members and organs is equally and exactly applicable to both species.  Bill to head as five to four: sometimes merely equal to the head: considerably depressed, except near the tip; at base  more than twice as broad as high; straight;  culmen produced among the frontal feathers, which are soft and turned back; sides of the maxilla cut out beyond the centre by a broad membranous and plumose fosse: tomiæ locked, trenchant, and entire; towards the gape somewhat incurved—towards the tip, straight: tip of upper mandible inclined and notched; of the lower, subrecurved and subemarginated, sometimes straight and entire.  Nares nearer to the tip than to the gape; at fore end of the nasal fossæ, lateral, longitudinal, elliptic, large, free, shaded above by a small nude process of the fossal membrane, and set over with tiny incumbent hairs: gape scarcely to the fore angle of the eye and subciliated: wings reaching to centre of tail, firm, first quill bastard, second long, fourth longest; all four slightly emargined on their inner web.  Tail composed of twelve firm feathers, rather longer than in Turdus, the four laterals gradated in a small degree, more than in Turdus.  Tarsi submedial, stout, rather longer than the central toe, usually smooth, sometimes crossed by three or four scales.  Toes simple, ambulatory, compressed, moderately unequal; outer basally connected; hind stouter and subdepressed.  Nails compressed, obtuse; the central fore with both margins dilated but entire.  Head furnished with a soft, full, garruling [sic = garruline] crest.  Tongue simple, flat, medial, subcartilaginous, with cartilaginous, subjagged, tip.  Stomach muscular, of medial subequal thickness, the lining tough and grooved.  Intestinal canal 20 to 25 inches long, of subequal calibre throughout; close to anal end, two grain-like cæca.  The intestines are longer in proportion than those of Turdus: but otherwise similar." (Hodgson 1836); "Cochoa Hodgson, 1836, Journal Asiatic Soc. Bengal, V, p. 359. Type, by subsequent designation (G. Gray, 1840, List Genera Birds, p. 40), Cochoa viridis Hodgson, 1836." (JAJ 2021).
Synon. Oreias, Prosorinia, Xenogenys.

purpurea
L. purpureus  purple-coloured  < purpura  purple  < Gr. πορφυρα porphura  purple.
● ex “Héron pourpré” and “Crabier marron” of Brisson 1760 (Ardea).
● ex “Martin-pêcheur de Pondichéry” of d’Aubenton 1765-1781, pl. 778, fig. 2, “Martin-pêcheur pourpré” of de Buffon 1770-1786, and “Purple Kingsfisher” of Latham 1782 (syn. Ceyx erithaca).
● ex “Purple Finch” of Catesby 1731, Latham 1783, and Pennant 1785, “Pyrrhula carolinensis violacea” of Brisson 1760, and “Bouvreuil violet de la Caroline” of de Buffon 1770-1783 (Haemorhous).
● ex “Quachilto” of Willughby 1676 and Ray 1713, “Acintli” of de Buffon 1770-1783, and “Crowing Gallinule” of Latham 1785 (syn. Porphyrula martinica).
● ex “Hirundo purpurea. Purple Martin” of Catesby 1731 (syn. Progne subis) .
● ex “Purple Pigeon” of Brown 1776, and of Latham 1783 (syn. Treron vernans).