TURDIN'.^':. 



17 





THE ROCK-THRUSH. 



MoNTicoLA SAXATiLis (Linna2us). 



The claim of the Rock-Thrush to a place in the British list rests 

 upon an example shot on the 19th May, 1843, at Therfield, in Hert- 

 fordshire, and figured as above by the late Mr. Yarrell, who ex- 

 amined it before it was skinned. Some other occurrences are 

 recorded, but are not authenticated. The bird in question had no 

 doubt deviated on its spring migration to the westward of its usual 

 course ; but some of its regular haunts are at no great distance from 

 our shores ; the species being a yearly summer-visitor to the central- 

 and side- valleys of the Rhine, Moselle, Upper Meuse, and some 

 portions of Alsace. It also breeds sparingly in the Hartz Mountains, 

 Thuringia, and other suitable situations in Germany ; while it has 

 straggled to Belgium, and six times to Heligoland. In Switzerland 

 and southwards it is generally distributed throughout suitable rocky 

 districts, although often local ; and where, as in Southern Spain and 

 Northern Africa, its congener the Blue Rock-Thrush {Mo/iticoia 

 cyanus) predominates, it retires to higher ground. From the Carpa- 

 thians eastward it breeds in Greece, Turkey, Southern Russia, Asia 

 Minor, Persia, Turkestan, Southern Siberia, Mongolia, and North 



c 



