THE CONTINENTAL ROBIN. 479 



(Sussex) Sept. 1, 1905 (C. B. Ticehurst, op. c, xvi, p. 34). Fair Isle 

 (Shetlands) March 22, 1909, May 14, 1910 and May 9, 1913 (W. E. 

 Clarke, Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1910, pp. 67, 196 ; Studies in Migra- 

 tion, II., p. 142, Scot. Nat., 1914, p. 54). Two, Pett Level (Sussex), 

 May 15 and 17, 1911 (H. W. Ford-Lindsay, Brit. B., v, p. 23, J. B. 

 Nichols, p. 106). St. Leonards (Sussex), Sept. 22, 1912 (N. F. 

 Ticehurst, op. c, vi., p. 187). 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Middle Europe from France to west 

 Russia. Migrates through more western parts of Europe to north- 

 west Africa, also in lesser numbers to north-east Africa. Replaced 

 by closely-allied forms in south Russia generally, Persia, Trans- 

 caspia and Turkestan, Kashmir (Ladakh), the Karakoram, Pamir 

 and Alai Mountains, and in eastern Siberia. 



Genus ERITHACUS Cuvier. 



Erithacus Cuvier, Legons d'Anat. Comp.. i, tab. ti (1800 — Monotype : 

 Lr roitge-gorge " = Motacilla Eubecida L. apud Cuvier, Tabl. elom. hist, 

 nat. Anini, p. 218, 1798). 



Very near to Luscinia, but plumage softer, more copious, 

 tail square, even slightly emarginate, as central pair of tail- 

 feathers is very slightly shorter than rest. Sexes alike, young 

 spotted. Eggs cream-colour or pinkish-white, spotted. One 

 species in a number of subspecies in Palsearctic region from Atlantic 

 Isles to Caucasus and Persia, south to Atlas Mountains. 



ERITHACUS RUBECULA 



196. Erithacus rubecula rubecula (L.)— THE CONTINENTAL 



ROBIN. 



Motacilla Rubecula Linna?us, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 188 (1758 — 



"Europa." Restricted typical locality : Sweden). 



Erithacus rubecula (Linnaeus), Yarrell, i, p. 305 (part) ; Saunders, p. 37 



(part). 



Description. — Like E. r. rnelophilns but upper-parts paler brown 

 and with more olive tinge becoming when worn in summer greyish- 

 browii ; throat and breast also jmler being consideiably more 

 yellowish-orange and not so rich and reddish, in worn summer 

 plumage difference becomes still more marked than in fresh 

 plumage : flanks paler and belly with more white. 



Measurements and structure. — (^ wing 70-76 mm., tail 54-62, 

 tarsus 24.5-26, bill from skull 13-16 (12 measured). wing 08-73. 

 Structure as in E. r. melophilus, but bill is finer. 



Characters and allied forms. — E. r. sardus (Corsica and Sardinia) 

 upper-parts darker and more olive-brown than in either E. r. 



