BLACK-THROATED THRUSH. 189 



Tardus ruficollis of Pallas, "Zoog.," tome L, p. 452, 

 has been given as a synonyme of T. atrogidaris by 

 some systematic writers, but Mr. Gould, who has a 

 beautiful figure of the bird in his "Birds of Asia," 

 considers them quite distinct. I quote the following 

 upon the subject from that magnificent work: — 



"In the size of the bill, length of the wings and 

 tail, and in the colouring of the crown of the head 

 and beak T. ruficollis is exactly like T. atrogidaris ; but 

 they are very different in colour in other parts. Mr. 

 Hodgson, who has had ample opportunities for examining 

 this bird in India, remarks that T. ruficollis is nearly 

 allied to T. atrogidaris, but differs in having the neck, 

 breast, superciliary ridge, fore part of the under sur- 

 face of the wing and the tail, except at the tip, rufous. 

 The Russian specimens of T. atrogularis are also smaller 

 than individuals killed in the Himalayas, and I have 

 never seen a specimen of the latter species with any 

 other than uniform blackish brown tail feathers; if I 

 had I should have believed the birds were of the same 

 species." 



T. ruficollis has been said to have occurred in Europe, 

 and there can be little doubt that it is occasionally 

 seen with the other Asiatic Thrushes as an accidental 

 visitor, though I am not aware of any well-authenticated 

 instance of its capture, and adding this doubt to that 

 of its specific distinctness I do not feel justified in 

 introducing it into this work. It was observed in 

 company with T. Naumanni by Middendorf, in the 

 south-east of Siberia, in the sixty-first degree of north 

 latitude. It was also observed by Pallas passing in 

 great abundance to winter quarters through the larch 

 forests of the Daoouria. 



About the end of April they begin to pair. They 



