16 BIRDS OF TUNISIA 



MONTICOLA SAXATILIS (Linnffius.) 

 EOCK-THEUSH. 



Turdus saxatilis, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 294 (1766) ; Malherbe, Cat. 



Eais. d'Ois. Alg. p. 10 (1846). 

 Monticola saxatilis, Boie, Isis ; 1822, p. 522, Seebohm, Cat. Birds 



Brit. Mus. V, p. 313 ; Loche, Expl. Sci. Alg. Ois. i, p. 196 (1867) ; 



Koenig, J. f. 0. 1892, p. 389 ; Whitaker, Ibis, 1895, p. 92 ; Erlanger, 



J. f. 0. 1899, p. 243. 



Description. — Adult male, spring, from Ain Ehorab, Central Tunisia. 



The entire liead and necl^, above and below, slate-lilue, becoming darlier 

 on the mantle, where there is an admixture of blackish-brown ; lower part 

 of the back pure white ; rump bluish-slate ; upper tail-coverts rich orange ; 

 tail also orange, with the exception of the two central rectrices, which are 

 light brown, being only orange-coloured at the base ; quills brown ; upper 

 wing-coverts darker, most of the feathers being slightly fringed with white ; 

 entire under-surface below the throat, as well as the under tail-coverts and 

 the axillaries, rich orange. 



Iris, bill and feet, very dark brown. 



Total length 8 inches, wing 5, culmen "85, tarsus 1-15. 



Adult female, spring. Above mottled brown of different shades ; tail 

 and upper tail-coverts orange ; below also mottled, but much lighter, the 

 prevailing colours being buff, suffused with pale orange and pale brown, 

 darker on the throat and breast, and lighter on the abdomen and crissum ; 

 under wing-coverts and axillaries orange. 



Soft parts as in male ; measurements slightly less. 



Although nowhere plentiful, the Eock-Thrush is not uncommon 

 in Tunisia during the periods of migration, and probably a good many 

 of the birds also remain throughout the summer and breed in the 

 Eegency. I have no positive information on this point, but judging 

 from the lateness of the season when pairs of the species have been 

 met with, there can be little doubt as to their nesting in the country. 

 At Kasrin, in Central Tunisia, I found Rock-Thrushes at the end of 

 April, apparently established in their summer quarters; and from other 

 parts of Central and Northern Tunisia I have notes of the occurrence 

 of the species as late as the end of May, when presumably all, except 

 the nesting birds, must have passed northwards. From the far south 

 of the Eegency I have only notes of these birds occurring on passage, 

 and apparently the species does not winter anywhere in Tunisia. 



