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Balearic isles it is recorded by Herr A. von Homeyer as " common and resident." Mr. Howard 

 Saunders states that it is generally distributed throughout the country ; and Major Irby tells us 

 that he has found it resident on all rocky ground, being very abundant at Gibraltar. Dr. E. Key 

 writes, " I found this bird comparatively abundant in Southern Portugal." On the opposite coast 

 of the Mediterranean, Mr. C. F. Tyrwhitt Drake mentions that it is common on rocky grounds 

 in Tangier and Eastern Morocco, where it has a habit of frequenting the cemeteries. Loche says 

 that it is found in Algeria only in the mountainous districts, and never in any large numbers. 

 During his recent visit to this country, Mr. J. II. Gurney, jun., procured specimens at La Chiffa. 

 Mr. Salvin states that it " occurs in all the mountainous parts and rocky passes of the Eastern 

 Atlas ; and in such places one may seldom listen in vain for the plaintive notes of this beautiful 

 songster. We were unsuccessful in obtaining their eggs, though many pairs must have had their 

 nests within easy reach of our different camps while we remained in the mountains." Mr. Wright 

 has sent us several specimens from Malta, where it breeds : a note on its habits by this excellent 

 observer will be found below. 



Our friend Mr. A. Basil Brooke sends us the accompanying note : — " Blue Thrushes are very 

 common in Sardinia ; and I have seen them there at all times of the year. They are, as a rule, a 

 wild, shy bird, and along the neighbouring coast of Italy, where they are found, it is almost 

 impossible to get near them. In Sardinia they are much more confident and tame, which 

 is easily accounted for by the inhabitants never shooting them, there being in most places 

 quantities of small game through the island." It is included by Bettoni among the birds which 

 breed in Lombardy ; and the following account is given by Doderlein, who states that this species 

 is " resident in the district of Modena, although not common, a few pairs nesting in the valleys 

 of the upper Apennines. In Sicily it is very abundant in all the mountain-regions, and may even 

 be found among the rocks of Monte Pellegrino and Aguzzo (near Palermo), where it breeds." 

 Lord Lilford found it resident and very abundant in Corfu and Epirus, as in all parts of the 

 Mediterranean shores which he has visited. According to Von der Miihle it is common on the 

 rocky hillocks of the Morea and on the islands of Greece. Lindermayer also says that it is 

 common and resident in Greece, but denies that it is found on the islands, as stated by Von der 

 Miihle, whose authority, he says, is only the sportsmen who shoot there, he himself never having 

 visited the islands. On this point, however, some additional information has been given by 

 Dr. Kruper, who writes : — " The Blue llock-Thrush is not rare on Naxos, in the rocky mountains, 

 and on many cliffs by the sea, where it breeds. I obtained several eggs. Far in the interior of 

 the stalactite cave of Naxos I found a nest containing three young birds. This pair appeared to 

 breed there every year, as we found traces of the last year's nest." Mr. Robson, in a letter, 

 observes, " This species seems to be accidental in Turkey, as I have only seen one bird." 



Canon Tristram, in writing on the ornithology of Palestine, mentions it as "a very solitary 

 bird, but resident in scattered pairs throughout the whole country, wherever there are rocks, 

 through the year. It feeds at the water-edge on the sea-shore, on small Crustacea, and is 

 generally to be found among old ruins. Its nest was found by Mr. Cochrane and myself, with 

 four eggs sat on, near the Lake of Galilee, on April 2nd." It would appear to be more common 

 in Egypt in some seasons than in others, as some observers have pronounced it to be rather 

 plentiful in suitable localities, whilst others have recorded it as rare. Captain Shelley gives 



