416 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



strawberry, etc.) ; also worms, small mollusca, and insects (orthop- 

 tera, larvae of diptera and lepidoptera, etc.). 



DISTRIBUTION. England and Wales. Summer-resident and pas- 

 sage-migrant, occasionally staying throughout winter. Nests 

 regularly in hilly districts of Cornwall, Devon and Somerset, Wales 

 and Welsh border, in Pennine backbone and spurs from north Staffs., 

 Derby., and east Cheshire northwards to Cheviots, and on moors 

 of north-east Yorks. A few breed Isle of Man. Said to have 

 nested exceptionally in Hants., Kent, Suffolk, Norfolk, Warwick, 

 and other counties. Has visited most counties on migration. 

 Scotland. On mainland generally distributed in summer (occasion- 

 ally staying winter) ; breeds in higher districts and in some localities 

 down to sea-level, but most common from 1,000 to 1,600 feet, and 

 seldom nests above 2,000 feet. Rarely breeds Orkneys, but occurs 

 spring and autumn, as in Shetlands, where does not breed. Nests 

 in most I. Hebrides, but only sporadically Skye, and not Tiree ; 

 in 0. Hebrides a rare visitor. Ireland. Thinly distributed summer- 

 resident in wilder mountain-districts of each province, and occasion- 

 ally near sea -level. Occasionally remains winter. 



MIGRATIONS. British Isles. British breeding-birds probably reach 

 summer-quarters by a westerly route, arriving in extreme south- 

 west England, and south Ireland from second week March to early 

 May. Passage-migrants occur in small numbers from mid-April 

 to mid-May east of line from Isle of Wight to Wash, and in northern 

 isles (late elates May 21, June 15, Fair Isle). Breeding-haunts are 

 left about third week August and emigration from south coasts 

 begins early Sept. Occurs in most counties on autumn passage. 

 Departure movements become merged in those of passage-migrants 

 towards end Sept. (early date 23, Fair Isle), which continue to 

 first week Nov. East coast route (Shetlands to Channel) is very 

 well marked, but west coast (Outer Hebrides to Scillies and Ireland) 

 much less so. 



DISTRIBUTION. Abroad. Scandinavia, migrating through Europe 

 and wintering in Mediterranean countries. Replaced by allied 

 forms in mountain -systems of central and south Europe, and in 

 Caucasus, east to north Persia and Transcaspia, apparently also 

 in Atlas Mountains (Algeria). 



173. Turdus torquatus alpestris (Brehm) THE ALPINE 

 RING-OUZEL. 



MERULA ALPESTRIS Brehm, Isis, 1828, p. 1281 (nomen nudum !) ; id. f 

 Handb. Naturg. V6g. Deutschl., p. 377 (1831 Tirol). 



DESCRIPTION (Plate 15). Adult male. Winter. Like that of T. 

 t. torquatus but white fringes to feathers of under-parts broader 



