162 Lt.-Col. Sir O. B. St. John on the Birds 



with those noted by Mr. Blanford {' Eastern Persia/ ii. p. ] 58) . 

 This large Eastern form of the common Blackbird thus ex- 

 tends over the whole Iranian plateau. 



74. Merula unicolor (Tick.). 



A specimen obtained by my collector at Quetta in 1882 

 was identified as this Thrush by Mr. Blanford. It must be 

 rarCj as I did not observe it before. 



75. TuRDUs ATRiGULARis, Tcmm. 



Very common in winter at Kandahar in some years, and 

 in others hardly seen. Col. Swinhoe failed to obtain it in 

 the winter of 1880-81, while the year before it was swarming 

 in every orchard. It should be noticed that the winter was 

 not a cold one, the only remarkable thing about it being 

 that the rain Avas unusually late and scanty, not falling till 

 February. Mr. Blanford must have misunderstood me 

 ('Eastern Persia,^ ii. p. 159) as to the non-occurrence of this 

 bird in Persia. I have seen it frequently in winter in gardens 

 about Ispahan, though not further south. 



76. TuRDUs viscivoRUs, Linn. 



Common in winter in the higher hills, and occas'onally 

 straggles to Quetta, but was not seen about Kandahar. 



77. Chatarrikea huttoni (Blyth). 



Found everywhere in the province in favourable localities, 

 but nowhere very common. About Kandahar, as in Persia, 

 it is a garden-bird. In the tamarisk-jungle of the Helmund 

 it was abundant. 



78. Otocompsa leucotis (Gould). 



Common everywhere up to 6000 feet or thereabouts. 



79. Oriolus kundoo, Sykes. 



Common in suitable localities, which, however, are not 

 many, about Kandahar; it is abundant in the extensive 

 orchards and plantations, arriving about the beginning of May. 

 O. galbula may also occur, but was not procured. The latter is 

 the only Oriole found in Persia, and a straggler has been 

 shot in Sind. It may be inferred that 0. kundoo winters in 

 India invariably, and that Arabia is the easternmost winter- 



