BLACK-THROATED THRUSH. 277 



of January (Proc. Zool. Soc. 1869, p. 4). Since also the species 

 has long been known to occur in neighbouring countries, and 

 may probably have been overlooked in our own,* its introduc- 

 tion to the present work, as to that of Mr. Gould, seems to 

 be justifiable. 



Of the habits of the Black-throated Thrush but little is 

 known. Though it is presumably of Siberian origin, it does 

 not seem to have come under the notice of Pallas or any of the 

 naturalists who have followed more immediately in his track ; 

 whence it may be concluded that it does not in summer push so 

 far to the northward as the countries investigated by them. 

 Prof. Eversmann speaks of it in the * Bulletin ' of the Society 

 of Naturalists of Moscow (xxiii. pt. 2, p. 571) as being not rare 

 in the Southern Altai. Mr. Jerdon says it occurs "throughout 

 the Himalayas, inhabiting the higher ranges in the interior, 

 in summer, but descending to the lower ranges in winter ; 

 and it is even occasionally found in the plains of Lower 

 Bengal." He adds, that it " keeps to the more open woods, 

 at a level from 3,000 to 8,000 feet, and is occasionally seen 

 on roads and pathways." Beavan was informed by the late 

 Dr. Scott that it was tolerably abundant about Umballa in the 

 cold weather, and Mr. Blyth has known it shot near Calcutta. 



How often the Black-throated Thrush has occurred in 

 Europe, or whether it is, as some assert, an actual inhabitant 

 of the eastern parts of this quarter of the globe, cannot easily 

 be said ; for dire confusion has existed in the determination 

 of several of the Asiatic Thrushes. Naumann states that it has 

 been observed in the Caucasus, New Kussia, the Carpathians, 

 Dalmatia, Lower Italy and Sardinia, but gives no authority 

 for the several assertions, some of which may be doubted. 

 Hungary is added by Brehm and Silesia by Gloger. Herr von 

 Pelzeln mentions two examples captured in Austria one of 

 them at Aspang in October, 1823, and now in the Vienna 

 Museum. HH. Brandt, Jackel and Von der Muhle say that a 



* A specimen in the Museum of the University of Edinburgh, mentioned by 

 Macgillivray (Br. B. ii. p. 117) as a supposed hybrid between the Mistletoe- 

 Thrush and the Blackbird, may possibly have been of this species. Prof. Duns 

 has been good enough to search for the example, but it is not forthcoming. 



