THE ALPINE RING-OUZEL. 417 



and feathers of lower -breast, belly and under tail-coverts always 

 with white or whitish centres varying in extent ; axillaries and 

 under wing-coverts and inner webs of wing-feathers and edgings of 

 outer webs of secondaries and greater wing-coverts whiter than 

 in T. t. torquatus. Moult as in T. t. torquatus. Summer. White 

 fringes of feathers of breast and belly being broader than in T. t. 

 torquatus do not wear off to same extent so that under-parts are 

 always whietr. 



Adult female. Browner than male ; feathers of chin and throat 

 with broader white fringes and black of these feathers often reduced 

 to a mesial streak ; breast, belly and under tail -coverts with broader 

 fringes and larger white centres. As compared with adult female 

 T. t. torquatus can always be distinguished by white centres to 

 feathers of breast and belly and larger white centres to under tail- 

 coverts as well as broader fringes to feathers of under-parts ; under- 

 wing and outer edgings of secondaries and greater coverts also 

 whiter. 



Nestling . (Not examined . ) 



Juvenile. Like that of T. t. torquatus but under-parts with 

 white bars rather broader and more conspicuous. 



First winter and summer. Male and female. Distinguishable 

 from adults as in T. t. torquatus by white mesial fleck at tip of inner- 

 most unmoulted greater coverts, but when this is absent difficult 

 to distinguish with certainty. Moult as in T. t. torquatus. 



Measurements and structure. <$ wing 136-143 mm., tail 100-110, 

 tarsus 33-35.5, bill from skull 23-25 (12 measured). $ wing 132-140. 

 Structure as in T. t. torquatus. 



BREEDING-HABITS. Much more addicted to nesting in trees than 

 typical race, often building 40 feet or more above ground on branch 

 of spruce and seldom low down. Nest. Similar to that of T. t- 

 torquatus. Eggs. 4-5 also similar, biit perhaps paler on aver- 

 age showing more ground-colour. Average size of 42 eggs, 30.7 X. 

 22.2 mm. Breeding-season. From end April and early May to< 

 July, but many pairs do not breed till late May. Probably some are 

 double brooded. Incubation. Not definitely recorded. 



FOOD. Besides worms and slugs, insects, chiefly coleoptera (Cara- 

 bus, Staphylinus, Silpha, Cryptophagidae, Lathidrius, Byrrhus, Apho- 

 dius, Geotrupes, Melolontha), also diptera and larvse, and vegetable 

 matter in stomachs. Berries and grapes eaten in autumn. 



DISTRIBUTION. England. Two or more. Male, Guestling (Sussex), 

 May 23, 1911 (M. J. Nicoll, Brit. B., v, p. 72). Female, near 

 Brighton (Sussex), March 29, 1913 (J. B. Nichols, t.c., vn, p. 117). 

 One said to have been of this form obtained in Yorks. early in 1893, 

 and another in Norfolk Sept. 18, 1894 (ZooL, 1895, pp. 56, 99). 



DISTRIBUTION. Abroad. Breeds in mountains of central and south 



2E 



