THE BIRDS OF MESOPOTAMIA. 397 
markings and greyer less fulvous underparts, but I found that several individual 
birds from Mesopotamia were quite inseparable from Khandahar birds and that 
the characters I relied on were variable in birds from both localities and I think 
in part was due to the make of the skins. Wings, J 88-94, Q 85-87. Tail 116. 
130 mm. 
The juvenile plumage of hutiont is quite different to that of altirostris ; it is 
heavily streaked above especially on the head where the dark markings take 
up most of feather and, with the pale edges to the feathers, gives it a spangled 
appearance ; in this plumage it is very similar to that of typical caudatus. 
100. Song Thrush. Turdus philomelos (—musicus auct.) 
Turdus philomelos philomelos, Brehm. (Naturg. Vég. Deutsch, 
p. 382, 1831—Central Germany). 
This is a winter visitor, widely distributed and commoner than the Blackbird. 
To a certain extent it is also a weather migrant. The time of arrival is about 
mid-November and some depart again early in March and most have gone by 
the end of the month. Weigold records one at Urfa on April 19th. A shy 
retiring bird it is met with mostly singly, affecting scrub, date gardens, ete. 
Buxton noted that it suddenly became quite common on December llth, 1917, 
at Amara during a sudden cold snap and strong north winds and it remained 
common up to the end of February. ‘ 
Eight skins examined: Shustar. 31-1-18, 1-1-19 (F. M. B.); Samarra, 8-3-18, 
6-3-18, 5-3-18 (C. R. P.); 3, Qalet Saleb, 25-11-17 (P. Z. C. and R. E. C.) ; Sule- 
mania, 12-11-19 (Ross); ¢, Basra, 18-3-18 (C. B. T.). All are of the typical race. 
1o1. Blackbird. Turdus merula. 
(1) Turdus merula syriaca, H. and E. (Symb. Phys. Aves. folio. b.b. 
1828—Syria). 
(2) Turdus merula intermedia, Richm. (Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Xviii, 
1895, p. 585, 1896,—Aksu E. Turkestan). 
The records are too few to say much about the Blackbird beyond stating that 
it is apparently a rather scarce, though widely distributed, winter visitor. The 
first record relates to December 2nd and there are records each month to March 
19th throughout the length of the country from Mosul to Fao. 
Sassi records the typical race from Mosul in January ; Witherby identified 
one obtained by Woosnam at Shush on March 18th as syriacus (Ibis, 1907, p. 83) 
and Zarudny says this latter race nests and winters in the Zagros in small 
numbers. 
(i) 2, Baghdad, 12-17. W. 122, T. 110. Bill base 25 mm. 
(ii) Q, Amara, 6-2-18. W. 136. T. 123. B. 27 mm. (P. Z. C. and R. E. C.) 
6, Baghdad, 5-12-17. W. 137, T. 121°5. B. 27 mm. (Ingoldby). 
The Baghdad bird is clearly syriaca ; the other two are too large for this race 
and correspond well with intermedia from Turkestan. Over these determina- 
tions Dr. Hartert, who kindly examined these specimens, agrees with me. 
Woosnam’s bird, above referred to, and one obtained at Fao by Cumming are 
equally large and must also be referred to intermedia. Syriaca however does 
occur in 8. W. Persia whence I have seen one in Witherby’s collection. 
, 
102. Black-throated Thrush. Turdus ruficollis. 
Turdus ruficollis atroguaris, Temm. (Man. d’ornith, 1, p. 169, 1820— 
Austria). 
Pitman saw two males of this Thrush feeding on berries in sc1ub near Amara 
on January 30th, 1916. Tomlinson met with it at Basra on March 5th, 1911, 
and Zarudny lists it as a winter visitor in small numbers for his area. 
Possibly a weather migrant as in many other places. 
