A HAND-LIST OF BRITISH BIRDS. 79 



TURDUS MERULA 



164. Turdus merula merula L. THE BLACKBIRD. 



TURDUS MERULA Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 170 (1758 Europe. 



Restricted typical locality : Sweden). 



Turdus merula Linnaeus, Yarrell, I, p. 280 ; Saunders, p. 13. 



DISTRIBUTION. British Isles. Resident. Generally distributed, 

 but in 0. Hebrides and Shetlands a scarce and local breeder, though 

 more common in Orkneys and I. Hebrides, and much more common 

 in all these islands as winter-visitor. In Ireland has extended 

 breeding-range to extreme west of mainland, and to Achill Island 

 and Aran Isles. 



MIGRATIONS. British Isles. Many home-bred birds migrate in 

 autumn and return in spring, especially in north Scotland and 

 exposed places elsewhere. A large autumn (late Oct. and Nov.) 

 immigration in northern isles and down both sides of Great Britain, 

 as well as in Ireland. Some of these immigrants pass on and leave 

 the country, others stay winter. A reverse movement in spring 

 (late Feb. to early April). 



DISTRIBUTION. Abroad. The whole of Europe, except Spain, 

 where replaced as in north-west Africa, the Atlantic islands, south- 

 east Europe to Persia, Syria, Turkestan to Mongolia, Himalayas 

 and China by more or less closely-allied forms. 



MONTICOLA SAXATILIS 



165. Monticola saxatilis (L.) THE ROCK-THRUSH. 



TURDUS SAXATILIS Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. xn, i, p. 294 (1766 " Habitat 



in Helve tiae, Austrise, Borussiae montibus." Restricted typical locality : 



Switzerland). 



Monticola saxatilis (Linnaeus), Yarrell, i, p. 292 ; Saunders, p. 17. 



DISTRIBUTION. Great Britain. Five or more. One Therfield 

 (Herts.) May 19, 1843 (Saunders, p. 17). Male obtained and another 

 seenPentland Skerries Light (Orkneys) May 17, 1910 (W. E. Clarke, 

 Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1910, p. 148, 1911, p. 135 ; cf. Brit. B., iv, 

 p. 117, v, p. 200.) Male and female (young) Pett (Sussex) Sept. 1 

 and 2, 1911 (H. W. Ford-Lindsay, Brit. B., v, p. 130). [One said 

 to have been seen near Whitby (Yorks.) June, 1852, and another 

 said to have been shot at Cobham (Kent).] 



DISTRIBUTION. Abroad. North-west Africa, south and middle 

 Europe, east to south Siberia and north China, wintering in tropical 

 Africa, north India and China. 



