Mr. H. Seebohm on Merula torquata. 31 1 



occurs, which differs from the typical form in having the 

 white on the margin of the wing-coverts much more developed, 

 in having broad white margins and white centres to the 

 feathers of the underparts, and in having nearly white axil- 

 laries. Intermediate forms occur both in Norway and 

 Sweden. An example from tlie former locality in the 

 British Museum, and one from the latter locality in Dresser^'s 

 collection, have white centres to many of the flank-feathers. 

 In examples from the Caucasus and Persia the white on the 

 axillaries and on the wing-coverts is still more pronounced, 

 whilst on the underparts that on the margins of the feathers 

 is less pronounced, and that in the centre altogether absent. 

 This form might be called M. torquata orientalis. 



It is rather remarkable that these facts should have been 

 unrecorded for so long a time ; but the extreme rarity of speci- 

 mens from continental Europe in the collections of British 

 ornithologists is not the only explanation. The Blackbird, 

 Merula merula, has a black bill for the first winter of its life, 

 but ever afterwards its bill is more or less yellow. It has 

 been foolishly taken for granted that corresponding changes 

 take place in the Ring Ouzel. 



This does not seem to be the case. Of thirty-six skins of 

 male Ring Ouzels, no British-killed autumn example has a 

 yellow bill, and only one continental example with white 

 centres to the feathers has a blacky or almost black, one. The 

 only conclusion I can draw is that M. torquata alpesfris, 

 like our Blackbird, having once acquired its yellow bill, 

 iiever loses it, whilst the typical form acquires a black bill 

 every autumn. It can hardly be supposed that twelve skins 

 of birds with yellow bills and white centres to the feathers 

 (which are all the male winter-killed examples of the conti- 

 nental form that I have been able to collect) should happen 

 to be all, but one, adult birds, whilst eleven skins with black 

 bills and no white centres to the feathers (which are all the 

 winter-killed examples of the typical form that I have been 

 able to collect) should all happen to be young birds. 



Dr. Stejneger is to be congratulated upon the rediscovery * 

 * Of. Stt^jneger, Proc. U.S. N. M. 1886, p. 365. 



