404 



A PEACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



TURDUS MUSICUS* 



169. Turdus musicus L.— THE REDWING. 



TuRDUS MUSICUS LinniBus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 1G9 (1758 — Europe. 



Restricted typical locality : Sweden). 



Turdus iliacus Linnspus, Syst. Nat., ed. xii, i, p. 292 (1766 — non LinnaeuS 



1758 ! The latter is a hopeless mixture, while the name musicus is 



unassailable. ) 



Turdus iliacus Linnanis, Yarrell, i, p. 268 : Saunders, p. 5. 



Turdus musicus, Hartert, Brit. B., iv, p. 130. 



The Redwing- {Turdus musicus). 



Description. — Adult male and female. Winter. — Whole ui^per- 

 parts warm broMni varying somewhat in tint and shade but usually 

 rather darker than Turdus i^h. philomelus, feathers of head with 

 darker centres, rump and upper tail-coverts slightly more tinged 

 with olivaceous than rest of upper-parts ; broad and conspicuous 

 stripe from nostrils, over and behind eye to back of skull pale butf 

 to whitish-cream, rather more buff in front of e3^e ; lores black- 

 brown ; ear-coverts dark brown with pale buff centres to some 

 feathers ; chin white to huffish -white, often without streaks, but 

 sometimes with small black-brown and buff streaks ; centre of 

 throat same, but with broader and larger streaks ; sides of throat 

 with considerably heavier streaks ; sides of neck buff to pale buff, 

 feathers tipped dark brown ; breast pale buff to Avhite, feathers with 

 wide pale brown mesial markings ; sides of belly same but with 



* As stated under T. philomchis, the name m.usicus, as first published, 

 refers to the Redwing, and was only afterwards transferred to the Song-Thrush. 

 The name iliacus was, in the first instance, an inextricable mixture of Song- 

 Thrush, Redwing, and Mistle-Thrush, and could not be employed for the 

 Redwing for this reason, as well as because the latter was already called 

 musicus. — E.H. 



