320 THE THRUSH FAMILY 



markings terminate the major coverts, forming two more or less distinct 

 wing-bars. The axillaries are golden buff, not white, as in the mistle-thrush. 

 Length 9 in. [229 mm.]. The sexes are alike. Length of female, 8 '5 in. 

 [216 mm.]. Juvenile plumage : the fledgling has the upper part browner 

 than in the young mistle-thrush, the general hue being of a dark wood brown, 

 sometimes inclining to rufous on the head. The broad buff streaks which mark 

 the upper parts of the mistle-thrush are here reduced to fine lines of buff, wider 

 on the feathers of the scapulars and interscapulars. The black transverse bars 

 on the mantle are inconspicuous. The lesser coverts have narrow shaft-streaks 

 of yellow : on the median coverts these streaks are wider, expanding towards the 

 tip of the feather. The major coverts are broadly tipped with yellow, thus forming 

 a bar across the wing, and the innermost secondaries may have dull yellow tips. 

 The primaries lack the dull margins of the young mistle-thrush. The rump is 

 somewhat darker and browner than the back, and the feathers may have a dull 

 black terminal bar, giving an indistinctly spotted appearance to this region. The 

 spots on the breast resemble those of the adult, but the flanks are spotted, not 

 striated as in the adult, [w. p. p.] 



2. Distribution. The species is distributed over the British Isles and the 

 greater part of the European Continent, from about 60 N., to the Pyrenees, 

 North Italy, the Balkans and the Caucasus, as well as Siberia east to Lake 

 Baikal. British breeding birds belong to a local form, T. musicus clarkei (Hart.). 

 It is (as far as known) confined to the British Isles, where it is common every- 

 where, and breeds even in the Outer Hebrides and Orkneys, but rarely in the 

 Shetlands. [F. c. B. j.] 



3. Migration. To the Shetland Isles the song-thrush is chiefly a rare casual 

 visitor, but over the rest of our area the species is found in suitable localities 

 throughout the year. Some of the individual birds are no doubt stationary, others, 

 on the approach of winter, exchange higher for lower levels, or inland for seaside 

 feeding-grounds (cf. Forrest, Fauna N. Wales, 1907, p. 70 ; and Ussher and Warren, 

 B. of Ireland, 1900, p. 2). Many are migrants, some being summer visitors, and others, 

 to which the Continental race (T. musicus musicus) may be referred, are winter 

 visitors or birds of passage. The movements are very complex, and we base our brief 

 statement chiefly on Mr. W. Eagle Clarke's summary (Report Brit. Assoc., 1900, 

 pp. 404-409) : (a) A southerly movement within our area and exodus from it of a 

 proportion of our summer thrushes takes place " at the end of summer and during 

 the autumn." Later on, further emigratory movements in the same direction, 



