TURDIDM— THRUSHES. 



75 



In the middle of January, 185 1, a nest containing one &^^^ was found near 

 Southend (28. ii. 84)," and on July 31st, i88r, I found a very late brood stilt 

 in the nest near here. 



Albin figures an adult male, very much pied on the head, neck, breast, and 

 wing-coverts, which he says (3. i, 35 & ii- 34) was sent him "by Sir Robert 

 Abdy out of Essex." In the Saffron Walden Museum is a variety shot at 

 Wenden by Mr. Salmon. It has the throat striped much like a Thrush, 

 the breast much lighter than usual and a good deal marked with arrow-head- 

 shaped spots. Another specimen, a mature male, killed at Saffron Walden, has 

 a white spot behind each eye, la white throat, and a patch of white joining 

 that on the throat and half encircling'] the neck. In general appearance, this 

 bird is strikingly like a Ring Ouzel. Another mature male from Bard 

 field has part of the crown white ; while a young male (?) from Chrishall is 

 entirely white, except for a few scattered feathers on the breast and back and 

 most of the primaries and inner tail-feathers, which are normal. On December 

 26th, 1875, I saw one with a white wing at Chignal St. James, and, curiously 

 enough, on December 26th, 1876, exactly a year later, another at Broomfield with 

 part of its right wing white. About a week before, my father saw, beside the 

 high road at High Easter, a pure white bird, which he had no doubt was a variety 

 of this species. A white specimen was taken from a nest near Leigh in May 

 1877, and another was hatched, with several normally-coloured ones, in a nest at 

 Shelley, in 1888 {Essex Chro7i.^ June 15th.). 



Ring Ouzel : Turdus torquatus. 



A rather uncommon passing migrant in spring and autumn,, 

 when on its way to z^^^^"^^^^" _ 



and from its breed- 

 ing grounds on the 

 moors of the north 

 and west of England. 

 A few are recorded 

 in most seasons, usu- 

 ally during April or 

 October. On one 

 occasion it has been 

 known to breed in 

 the county, but its 

 doing so is quite 

 exceptional. 



Henry Doubleday, 

 writing to Heysham in 



1831, says (10) that at 

 Epping it " is only now and then seen in spring and autumn." He afterwards men- 

 tions (10) killing a young male with a very indistinct ring, at Epping, in Oct.i 



1832. He also says (10) on Oct. 21st, 1836, " As I was riding to Chelmsford 

 yesterday, I saw a Ring Ouzel feeding on a haw-bush." Later still he writes 

 (10), " About the middle of April [1842], I killed a fine Ring Ouzel on an oak- 

 tree in the forest." On May 3rd, 1840, he writes (10) : — 



RING OUZEL, male, %. 



