8o CLARKE : THE BIRDS OF YORKSHIRE. 



specimens we have then obtained and examined have been in 

 winter plumage, the males, which largely predominate, having 

 the gorget dull white, the feathers of the throat, breast, and 

 abdomen edged with greyish white. 



On several occasions single birds have been obtained in 

 the county in mid-winter, namely, at Holmfirth on the 25 th of 

 December 1855 (Morris's Nat, 1856, iv. 93); at Oxenhope 

 near Keighley on the 2nd of February 1856 (Morris's Nat., 

 1856, vi. 92); at Leeds in December 1881 ; and Mr. Smurth- 

 waite of Richmond states (Morris's Nat., 1854, iv. 81) that it 

 is sometimes obtained in December and January. Regarding 

 these birds it would seem most probable that they are autumn 

 visitants attempting to winter with us, rather than laggard 

 summer visitants or their young. 



Local Names : Heath Throstle (Craven, 1676) ; Crag Ouzel 

 (Craven) ; Moor Blackbird (Sheffield and Craven) ; Ring Uzzle 

 (Cleveland). 



MONTICOLA SAXATILIS (L.). 

 Rock Thrush. 



An accidental visitant from Central or Southern Europe. 



This species is a summer visitant to the mountainous 

 districts of central and southern Europe, and winters in Arabia 

 and Africa. As a straggler it has occurred at Heligoland and 

 perhaps on three occasions in Britain, once in our county. 



Regarding its occurrence near Whitby, Mr. Thomas 

 Bedlington, of Middlesbrough, writes as follows in Morris's 

 Naturalist for 1856, p. 21 : 'In June, 1852, I saw a bird in 

 the neighbourhood of Robin Hood's Bay that I was not 

 acquainted with. I fohowed it for about two miles, and often 

 got within a dozen yards of it, by creeping behind hedges. In 

 its movements it was very like a Thrush, but it was rather smaller 



Trans. Y.N. U.. ISS-i (pub. 18S6). Series B 



