BIRDS FROM NORTHERN AND WESTERN PERSIA. 867 



Tiirdus pilaris, L. — Field Fare. 



The Field Fare was common in the forest near Resht in winter and just as 

 difficult to approach as it is in England. The last I saw were in juniper bushes 

 at 8,000 ft. on the hills above Menjil on 27th March. 



Turdus philomelos philomelos, Brehm. — Song Thrush. 

 {Turdus musicus, Auctt.) 



1 2 Kermanshah— No vember 1918. 



2 J Resht — January and February. 



The Song Thrush is common in the low-lying forests of Gilan in winter. A 

 small number remained all the summer, though their number might easily 

 have been overlooked in the dense jungle after the leaves were on the trees. 

 The Song Thrush was also seen at Kermanshah and Hamadan in December 

 1918, and once only at wind-swept Qazvin in January. 



The three specimens appear to differ in no respect from the Continental 

 Song Thrush. 



Monticola solitarius transmspicus, Hartert. — Blue Rock-Thrush, 

 (if. cyanus, Auctt.) 



l^Qasr-i-Shirin— 24th November 1918. 

 The specimen has been compared with the type at Tring and undoubtedly 

 belongs to this well-marked race. The Blue Rock Thrush was common among 

 the crags at Menjil, I think at every season of the year. 



CEmanilie jenanthe cenanthe (L) — Common Wheatear. 



1 d , Menjil— 26th March. 



1 2 » Enzeli — 30th April (ovary not enlarged). 

 The Common Wheatear passed through Enzeli from the last week of March 

 till the first of Maj^, and was abundant, April 20-30. The specimens belong to 

 the typical race (wing of male 97 mm., of female 98 mm). 



(Enanthe hispanica melanolenca (Giild) (xanthomelcena, Hempr. and Ehr.) — 



Eastern Black -eared Wheatear. 



1 d , Pa-i-Taq— May (R. E.G.). 

 " Roof of mouth and gape black. Organs advanced, evidently breeding." 

 This specimen appears to agree in every particular with the eastern race of the 

 Black -eared Wheatear. The chin and throat are white, the wing measures 

 87 mm. It is interesting to find this race so close to " Arabistan and Luri- 

 stan" from which Zarudny and Loudon (1904) described Saxicola gaddi. 

 QManthe finschii barnesi (Gates). 

 {Saxicola melanoletuxi melanoleuca (Giild). 



1 d, 1 2, Qasr-i-Shirm— November 1918. 



1 S , Pa-i-Taq— 24th May (R. E. C). 

 I found this Wheatear common at Qasr-i-Shirin and Cheesman's record for 

 Pa-i-Taq ("organs advanced, evidently breeding") is only a short distance 

 further N. E. We know then that it is resident in this low rocky country. I 

 saw it again at Menjil in March, also in rocky country at about 2,000^ ft. We 

 never saw it in the higher ground between Menjil and Pa-i-Taq. " Roof ot 

 mouth and gape orange yellow " (R. E. C). 

 (Enanthe isabellitm (Cretzschm) — Isabelline Wheatear, 



1 J , EnzeU— 17th March. 



1 d, Nahvand— Jime (R. E. C). 

 The Isabelline Wheatear is common round Menjil in spring and summer. It 

 is quite rare in the plateau round Kazvin in summer, and was not seen there in 

 winter. The specimen shot at Enzeli was perching in a tree in a flooded wood, 

 a most unsuitable place for this desert bird even on migration. Cheesmau 

 noticed them near Qazvin on 23rd June " feeding flying young on black ants." 

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