188 BLACK-THROATED THRUSH. 



There seems to have been some confusion created 

 among systematic writers on ornithology about this bird. 

 Thus Brehm denies that it is identical with the Tardus 

 dubius of Bechstein, and also differs in opinion with 

 Naumann and Temminck, who have described the T. 

 auroreus of Pallas as identical with T. atrogularis, an 

 opinion shared in by Schlegel and other ornithologists. 

 Upon this subject Temminck remarks: — 



"As I cannot form any opinion from inspection of 

 the identical species, I think it will be serviceable to 

 give the description furnished by M. Brehm of his T. 

 dubius. 'The upper part of the body is of a beautiful 

 olive brown, but the rump is lighter; there is a red- 

 dish border to the wings, and an indistinct brown 

 band over the eyes; the front of the body to the 

 upper part of the chest is tan-colour, without spots 

 on the middle of the neck, but with blackish brown 

 streaks on the sides; these spots take a triangular form 

 at the upper part of the chest; the rest of the under 

 parts of a dull white. The plumage of the young 

 bird is like T. atrogularis, but there is a yellow band 

 above the eyes.' 



If M. Brehm did not give so many new species and 

 sub-species some value might be attached to the dif- 

 ference in the form of the spots, and in the absence 

 or presence of a band over the eyelids; but we may 

 also add we cannot be too particular in admitting what 

 are presumed to be new species, especially in Asiatic 

 Thrushes. The greater number known shew such a 

 disparity in the colours, in their distribution and in the 

 form of spots at different epochs of the moult and at 

 different ages, that the young female and old male of 

 the same species may easily be mistaken and separated 

 as quite distinct." 



