480 RARE BRITISH BIRDS 



2. Distribution. Breeds in Scandinavia and North Russia, the Russian Baltic Provinces, 

 and apparently also in East Prussia. Though mainly sedentary, some seem to migrate southward 

 in winter to North-east Germany and apparently also to East Russia. In other parts of Europe, 

 North-west Africa, and Asia to the Himalayas, it is replaced by other forms. Has occurred 

 several times in east England in winter, chiefly Norfolk and Yorkshire. [F. c. R. J.] 



THE THRUSHES 1 



[ORDER: Passeriform.es. FAMILY: Turdidce. SUBFAMILY: Turdince] 



DUSKY- THRUSH [Turdus fuscdtus Pallas ; Turdus dubius Bechstein. French, merle brun ; 

 German, Rost-fiugeldrossel ; Italian, cesena fosca]. 



1. Description. Recognised by its light chesnut axillaries and under surface of the wing, 

 and by the flanks, which are heavily spotted with blackish brown. Sexes alike, except that the 

 female is duller in colour and has the upper surface more uniform. Length 9| in. [242 mm.]. 

 General colour of the upper surface of the body reddish brown, with blackish centres to the 

 feathers; rump feathers chesnut-brown; primaries and secondaries blackish brown, with the 

 basal two-thirds of the inner web chesnut and the outer web margined with reddish buff; chin, 

 throat, and cheeks white, tinged with buff and tipped with black ; breast and flank feathers 

 blackish brown, broadly margined with white ; middle of the chest and belly uniform white. 

 [w. P. P. and T. w.] 



2. Distribution. This species breeds in Siberia, north to the limit of tree growth on the 

 Yenisei and almost to the mouth of the Lena, east to Kamtschatka and Bering Island, 

 perhaps also North Saghalien. In winter its regular migrations extend to Corea, Japan, 

 Manchuria, China, Formosa, Assam, and North-west India ; but some individuals stray westward, 

 and have been recorded from Russia, Germany (?), Heligoland (once), Norway, Italy, Holland, 

 Belgium, South France, and once from England (Notts, 1905). [F. c. R. J.] 



BLACKTHROATED THRUSH [Turdus ruficdllis atriguldris Temminck ; Turdus atrigularis 

 Temminck. French, merle a gorge noire; German, schwarzlcehlige Drossel', Italian, 

 tordo dalla gola nera]. 



1. Description. Recognised by its black throat and upper chest. Sexes unlike in colora- 

 tion. Adult male, length 10J in. [266 mm.]. General colour of the upper parts pale greyish 

 brown; top of the head with indistinct mesial streaks of brown; primaries and secondaries 

 ash-brown, slightly fringed with whitish; tail similar to the wing; lores, chin, throat, sides of 

 the neck, and upper breast deep black, some of the feathers indistinctly fringed with white ; 

 remainder of the under surface white ; sides and flanks tinged with greyish. Adult female 

 differs from the male in lacking the black throat and chest, these parts being white spotted with 

 black ; otherwise the upper surface, wings, and tail are as in the male. [w. p. p. and T. w.] 



2. Distribution. This form of the redthroated-thrush breeds in West Siberia, in the 

 basins of the rivers Ob and Yenisei, south to the Altai, and, according to Severtzow, the Tian 

 Shan range. During the winter months its migrations extend to Turkestan, Transcaspia, 

 Afghanistan, Persia, Baluchistan, South Arabia (once), North-west India, the Himalaya range, 

 Shan States, Assam, and Manipur. In Europe it has occurred in Finland, Norway, many parts 

 of Germany, Denmark, Austria, Italy (seven), France, Belgium, and four times in Great Britain 

 (two Kent, one each Sussex and Perth). [F. c. R. J.] 



1 Vol. L p. 317. 



