236 TURDID^. 



sectiv. pi. 16 (1842) ; Gray, Gen. B. i. p. 218 (1847) ; Begl. Orn. 

 Eur. i. p. 456 (1849) ; Bp. Consp. i. p. 274 (1850) ; Cab. Mus. 

 Hein. i. p. 3 (1850) ; Licht. Nomencl. Av. p. 25 (1854) ; 8chl. Tm>c/. 

 Nederl. p. 204 (1854) ; Sundev. Sv. Fogl. p. 52 (1858) ; Linderm. 

 Viig. Griecheid. p. 86 (1860); JVetvf.' List B. Eur. Blasius, p. 9 

 (1862); Nfwt. Bariw/-Goiihrs Iceland, p. 408 (1863); Filippi, 

 Viaqg. Pcrs. p. 347 (1865) ; Degl. ef Gerbe, Orn. Eur. i. p. 399 

 (1867); Doderl. Avif. Sicil. p. 105 (1869) ; Droste, Vor/elw. Borkum, 

 p. 92 (1869) ; Gray, Hand-l. B. i. p. 255. no. 3697(1860); Hexu/l. 

 Orn. N.O.-Afr. p." 38(> (1869); Godman, Azores, p. 23 (1870); 

 Fritsch, Voi/.'Ew: p. 147 (1870); Saivad. Faun. Ital. Uec. p. 76 

 (1871) ; Neivt. ed. Yarr. Br. B. i. p. 280 (1872) ; Sharpe Si Dresser, 

 B.Eur, pt. X. (1872); Harting, Handb. Br. B. p. 12 (1872); 

 Shelh'ii, B. Egtipt, p. 66 (1872); Severtz. Turkest. Jevofn. p. 64 

 (1873) ; Irby, B. Gibr. p. 74 (1875) ; Dresser, Ibis, 1875, p. 3.32 ; 

 B/anf. East. Pers. ii. p. 157 (J876). 



Blackbird, Lath. Gen. 8i/n. ii. p. 43 (1783). 



Merula nigra, Leach, Si/st. Cat. Mainm. S,-c. Brit. Mm. p. 20 (1816); 

 Forster, Syn. Cat. Br. B. p. 50 (1817). 



Merula merula (Linn.), Bote, Isis, 1822, p. 552 ; Kaup, Natiirl. Si/st. 

 p. 1:57 ('1829). 



Sylvia merula (im«.), Snvi, Orn. Tosc. i. p. 205 (1827). 



Merula piuetorum, Brehm, Vog. Dcutschl. p. 372 (1831). 



Merula truucorum, Brehm, op. cit. p. 373 (1831). 



Merula alticeps, Brehm, op. cit. p. 373 (1831). 



Merula carniolica, Brehm, op. cit. p. 374 (1831). 



Turdus merula, var. syriaca, Ilempr. et Ehrenb. Symb. Phys. Aves, 

 fol. bb (18.3.3). 



Merula vulgaris, Selhy, Brit. Orn. i. p. 167 (1833) ; Gould, B. Eur. 

 ii. pi. 72 (1837) ; Mpp. Syst. Uebers. p. 60 (1845) ; Jaub. et Barth.- 

 Lapomm. Eich. Orn. p. 214 (1859); Gould, B. Gr. Br. ii. pi. 37 

 (1862) ; Loche, Expl. Sci. Ah/er., Ois. i. p. 192 (1867) ; Scully, Str. 

 F. 1876, p. 139 ; Bogd. B. Cauc. p. 80 (1879). 



Merula major, Brehm,' Xaum. p. 281 (1855). 



Turdus meuej^-azzianii.s, I'eriiii, Uecelli Veronesi, p. 66 (18.58). 



Turdus dactylopterus, Bp.,Jide Gray, Hand-l. B. i. p. 255. no. 3714 



(I8i;9). ^ 



Turdus merula, var. montana, Sam fide Salvad., Dresser, B. Eur. 

 pt. X. (1872). 



In the adult male in apring plumaeie tlio general colour of both 

 the upper and under parts is glossy black, slightly browner on the 

 quills. Bill orange-j^cllow. Wings with the third, fourth, and fifth 

 primaries nearly equal and longest ; second primarj- generally inter- 

 mediate in length between the sixth and seventh, but occasionally 

 equal to or shorter than the seventh ; bastard primarj' 0-9 to 0-7 

 inch. Legs, feet, and claws dark brown. Length of wing 5'1 to 4-6 

 inches, tail 4-5 to 3-8, culmen I'l to 0-95, tarsus 1-4 to ■1-3. 



The female differs from the male in having the upper parts a 

 uniform dark olive-brown, produced by a dark slate-grey ground more 

 or less suffused all over with ochraeeous. The underparts are slate- 

 grey, palest on the chin and throat ; most of the feathers on the chin, 

 throat, and breast, and a few on the flanks, have obscure fan-shaped 

 dark terminal spots ; the breast and flanks are slightlj' suffused with 

 ochraeeous, a feature which is very prominent in birds of the year, 

 and almost disappears in very old birds ; the axiUaries and under 



