400 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



passage and a few in winter at Fair Isle (Shetlands). Little so far 

 recorded of this form from identified examples {cf. Brit. B., iv, 

 pp. 246, 291), but there cannot be much doubt that it arrives 

 annually with the first Redwings from late Sept. throughout Oct., 

 followed by stragglers to 3rd week Nov. on east coast from extreme 

 south of Shetlands to Norfolk. Many afterwards appear to proceed 

 along coasts to winter-quarters in Ireland and the Continent, others 

 remain as winter -residents, sometimes performing further migratory 

 journeys along same routes as their forerunners, when compelled by 

 unfavourable weather conditions. In spring this form occurs with 

 T. ph. clarkei amongst returning migrants on south coast in late 

 March and during April, and appears to continue up east coast, 

 and finally depart by route followed in autunm. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Europe generally, west Siberia to Lake 

 Baikal, but absent from Spain south of Cantabrian Mountains, 

 south Italy, and Greece. Wintering in south Europe and north 

 Africa in east as far south as Suakin and Khartum. Casual 

 Madeira, winter-visitor Canaries. 



167. Turdus philomelus clarkei Hart.— THE BRITISH 

 SONG-THRUSH. 



Turdus philomelos clarkei Hartert, Bull. B.O.C., xxiii, p. 54 (1909 — 



Great Britain) ; id., Brit. B., iv, p. 131. 



Turdus mimcus Linnaeus, Yarrell, i, p. 264 (part) ; Saunders, p. 3 (part). 



Description (Plates 14 and 15). — Adult male and female. Winter. — 

 Crown, nape, mantle and scapulars warm brown with a reddish- 

 broAvn tinge, especially on crown, feathers of crown with darkish 

 centres and those of mantle usually with huffish concealed shaft- 

 streaks ; rump and upper tail-coverts more olive-brown ; incon- 

 spicuous line from base of bill over eye pale cream-coloured ; 

 orbital ring whitish-cream ; lores blackish -brown speckled cream ; 

 ear-coverts golden-buff heavilj^ tipped and edged black-brown ; 

 chin pale buff to creamy- white, centre of upper-throat same, 

 usually without spots ; sides of throat thickly streaked black-brown 

 each feather having a wedge-shaped dark mark at tip ; lower- 

 throat and upper-breast deeper yellowish-buff with larger and 

 rather more rounded and fan-shaped black-brown spots ; lower- 

 breast and belly white, sparsely spotted but centre of belly without 

 spots or with only a few small narrow ones ; sides of breast and 

 flanks olivaceous-buff and with browner spots ; under tail-coverts 

 creamy-white with buffish-brown bases ; under wing-coverts and 

 axiUaries yellowish-buff ; tail reddish-brown ; primaries and 

 secondaries black-brown, most of basal portion of inner webs buff, 

 outer webs except at tips much as crown ; primary-coverts as 

 primaries with black-brown tips somewhat conspicuous ; greater 



