122 BIRDS OF EUROPE AND NORTH AFRICA 



T. merula mauritanicus Hartert. ^ Tail longer than in 

 "cabrcnc," Wing 126-132. Tail 120-130. $ Underparts smoky 

 grey. liill orange. Wing 1 18-127. Tail 1 10-120 (H.). 



Breeds. — S. Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia. Apparently resident. 



T. merula algirus (Madarasz). Like "mauritanicus " but 

 smaller. Wing $ 119- 124, $ 11 2-1 19. 



Breeds. — N. Tunis, N. Algeria, N. Morocco, S. Spain 

 (Algeciras). Partly migratory in Spain. 



T. merula aterrimus (Madarasz). ^ like typical form, and 

 not distinguishable. Wing 123-134. Tail 105-115. $ Under- 

 parts duller and greyer than in $ "merula." Wing 1 18-125. 

 Tail 95-110 (H.). 



Breeds. — Rumania, Balkan Peninsula, Crete, Asia Minor, 

 Caucasus, and N. Persia. 



T. merula syriacus Hemprich and Ehrenberg. $ Bill longer ; 

 black less intense. Wing 127-131. Tail 1 15-120 (H.). 9 Greyer 

 than 9 " merula," throat less distinctly streaked. 



Breeds. — Syria and Palestine to E. Persia. Occurs Egypt in 

 winter. 



MONTICOLA. 



Chat-like Thrushes of solitary habits, frequenting rocky 

 places or ruins; cup nest in clefts and holes in rocks or stone 

 walls ; eggs greenish blue, uniform or faintly spotted red. 



Monticola saxatilis (L.). Rock Thrush. Fr. Merle de 

 roche ; Ger. Steindrossel ; Ital. Codirossone. 



^ summer. Head and neck blue, scapulars, upper back 

 and rump dark blue ; lower back white ; upper tail coverts, tail 

 and underparts orange red. Bill black. Legs and feet brown. 

 Wing 1 17-129 (W.). Tarsus 26-28. Bill 16-18. ? summer. 

 Above pale brown, tinged bluish, with white tips and dark 

 anteapical spots ; tail orange red ; beneath pale ochreous, with 

 bluish white tips and barred with dark brown. Wing 1 14-123 (W.). 

 In winter both sexes have the feathers tipped reddish above, and 

 white below. Young have black shaft streaks and minute spots 

 on back. 



Breeds. — Mountains of C. and S. Europe, north to Luxemburg 

 and N. France ; Caucasus ; S. Siberia to N. China ; also N.W. 



