134 



abode in the mountainous districts, and occasionally frequenting the towers of the country-houses. 

 Seidensacher observed it in April 1855 at the old castle of Cilli, in Styria, and says that it 

 breeds at Kirchstatten and Goutze ; five fledged young birds were brought to him from the 

 former place on the 29th May 1862. 



Lord Lilford says that he found the present bird "common in May, 1857, among the 

 Acroceraunian mountains, where " he adds, " 1 found the nests of this species, among debris 

 carried down by the melting of the snows, on Ischika, one of the highest points of that range. 

 I have once or twice observed the Rock-Thrush in the island of Corfu, where it is highly 

 prized as a singing bird." 



Mr. W. H. Hudleston, in his most entertaining paper entitled " Ornithological Notes from 

 Mesolonghi and Southern iEtolia," writes: — " M. saxatilis does not occur so low down as this: 

 it is said to be not uncommon in the higher districts of Greece." Lindermayer observes : — " It 

 is tolerably common in the mountains of northern Greece, and goes down to the province of 

 Attica, where I have often procured it on Hymettus and Pentelikon. It breeds, however, only 

 on the northern mountains. In the Peloponnesus and on the islands it does not yet appear to 

 have been found. It is a resident with us." Dr. Kriiper kindly informs us that he found 

 it inhabiting the high mountains of Greece in the conifer region, but in Asia Minor he only 

 procured a specimen during the season of migration. 



Respecting its occurrence in Southern Russia, Professor Von Nordmann states that he 

 "found it common in the Crimea, especially near Magaratch, Kikeneis, and Simeis." 



Dr. L. Taczanowski writes to us as follows : — " Only in one part of the kingdom of Poland 

 does this bird occur (and a few breed there), viz. in a rocky part of the country between Cracow 

 and Czenstchowa. It is also found in Southern Siberia; and I have received examples from 

 Dr. Dybowski, obtained in Dauria and the Baikal mountains, which agree precisely with birds 

 killed in Europe." Pallas remarks that it is common chiefly in the rocky portions of Siberia — 

 on the Altai Mountains and in the whole of the Transbaikal regions ; while according to Pere 

 David it passes the summer on the Pekin mountains. 



Tracing the present species along the southern course of its range towards its winter home 

 we find that the European Rock-Thrush was procured by Mr. W. T. Blanford in Upper Burmah, 

 on the banks of the Irawadi, near Ava. He says : — " I am not aware that this bird has ever been 

 recorded from the plains of India, although it was obtained by Dr. Stoliczka in Western Thibet. 

 P. castaneicollis, Less., is identical, in Dr. Stoliczka's opinion (J. A. S. B. 18G8, xxxvii. p. 34)." 

 Again, we are informed by Dr. Henderson that " a young male of this species was obtained at 

 Shadulla, in Hill Yarkand, on the 21st of September. It was a bird of the year." Mr. Hume, 

 commenting upon the above, remarks : — " I have seen other specimens from the Sutledge valley, 

 near Chini, all adult, and a young bird in much the same plumage as Dr. Henderson's specimen." 

 It was likewise procured in Cashmere by Vignc. Lord Walden's collection contains two beautiful 

 specimens, hi full breeding-plumage, from Turkestan ; and the next notice of its occurrence to 

 the westward we find in De Filippi's account of the birds encountered by him during his travels 

 in Persia, where he states that he met with it at Elburz. Hemprich and Ehrenberg procured it 

 in Syria ; and the accompanying note on the species in Palestine is of very great interest, as Canon 

 Tristram actually witnessed the return journey of a flock of Rock-Thrushes, which he describes 



