6 BIEDS OF TUNISIA 



the number of Thrushes annually netted must considerably exceed 

 half a million. Some interesting statistics touching on this subject, 

 and regarding the numerical passage of birds generally in Italy, are 

 to be found in Professor Giglioli's "Avifauna Italica " (pp. .501-50.5), 

 from which it would appear, inter alia, that in the Florence market 

 alone more than 6,000 Thrushes have been exposed for sale in a 

 single day, and this in a season by no means one of the richest so far 

 as regards the passage of migrants. From my own personal obser- 

 vation, however, I can well believe the above statement, as on fre- 

 quent visits to the Florence market daring the autumn months I have 

 always found vast numbers of Thrushes, Larks, and other species of 

 small birds displayed on all the poultry and game stalls, and the 

 supply is apparently renewed almost daily throughout the season. 

 As Florence is but one of the many important Italian centres, in the 

 neighbourhood of which the wholesale and indiscriminate netting of 

 small birds is carried on, one may form some idea of the total number 

 annually captured in the country, as also, in some measure, of the 

 countless numbers of migrants which must pass through the Peninsula. 

 Heterochrosis is not unfrequent in the Song-Thrush, pale yellowish 

 and isabelline "varieties " being the most common. 



TURDDS ILIACUS, Linnaus. 

 EEDWING. 



Tardus iliacus, Linn. Syst. Nut. i, p. 292 (1766) ; Seebohvi, Cat. Birds, 

 Brit. Mas. v, p. 189; Malherbc, Cat. Rais. d'Ois. Akj. p. 9 (1846); 

 Locke, Expl. Sci. Alg. Ois., i, p. 189 (1867); Koenig, J. /. 0. 1888, 

 p. 191 ; id. J.f. 0. 1892, p. 389 ; Whitakcr, Ibis, 1898. p. 126. 



DescrijJtiou .—Adxxlt male, winter, from Tunis, North Tunisia. 



Above dark olive-brown, darkest on the crown and quills ; a conspicuous 

 buff superciliary stripe, extending from the bill to behind the eye ; ear-coverts 

 very dark brown; sides of neck golden-buff; under-parts white, suffused 

 here and there with golden-buff, and heavily striped and spotted on the 

 lower throat and breast with very dark brown markings ; sides of the body 

 rich rusty red ; axillaries and under wing-coverts a paler rusty red. 



Iris dark brown ; bill dark brown ; yellowish at base of lower mandible ; 

 feet very light brown. 



Total length about 8 inches, wing 470, culmen -65, tarsus 1-10. 



