Order PASSE RES. 



Family TURDID^. 

 Subfamily TURDIN^. 



TURDUS YISCIYORUS, Linnmus. 

 MISTLE-THRDSH. 



Tardus viscivorus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 291 (1766) ; Seebohm, Gat. 

 Birds Brit. Mus. v, p. 194 ; Loche, Expl. Sci. Alg. Ois. i, p. 183 

 (1867) ; Whitakcr, Ibis, 1895, p. 92 ; Erlangcr, J. f. 0. 1899, p. 248. 



DescrijHion. — Adult male, spring, from Bou-Chebka, Central Tunisia. 



Above grey-brown, with an olivaceous tint, incliuing to golden-yellow on 

 rump ; the outer pair of tail-feathers tipped with white, this colour extending 

 upwards on the inner web, the next adjoining pair also slightly tipped with 

 white ; lores dull white; ear-coverts brown, streaked with yellowish-white ; 

 throat creamy-white, slightly streaked with brown ; breast, abdomen and 

 remainder of underparts yellowish-cream colour, plentifully spotted with 

 dark brown, the markings being triangular in shape above, and rounder 

 lower down ; axillaries and under wing-coverts pure white. 



Iris brown ; bill dark brown, with the base of the lower mandible yel- 

 lowish ; feet light brown. 



Total length about 10-50 inches, wing 6, culmeu -85, tarsus, 1-30. 



Adult female similar to male, but rather smaller. 



The Mistle-Tbrnsh occurs somewhat sparingly in the Tunisian 

 Eegency, and is apparently extremely local in its distribution there, 

 being found only in the more mountainous districts, and on the high 

 wooded plateaux of Northern and Central Tunisia, where, however, 

 it is resident and breeds. From Southern Tunisia the species seems 

 to be unrecorded, which is not surprising, when we consider the arid 

 and treeless nature of the country south of the Atlas. 



The Mistle-Thrush also occurs both in Algeria and Marocco, north 

 of the Atlas, but as in Tunisia, is more or less sparingly distributed, 



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