BLACK-THROATED THRUSH.

Turdus atrogularis, Temm.

La Merle a gorge noire.
Tus fine bird is one of the ornithological rarities of the Fauna of Europe : it is, however, a species of common
occurrence in the Himalaya mountains, whence we have received numerous examples, differing in no respect
from those taken in Europe. Although M. Temminck states that it is a native of Hungary and Russia but
rare in Austria and Silesia, we have only seen two native-killed specimens, which are in the collection at
Vienna, and one of them was, we believe, killed in the neighbourhood of that city: young birds are also said
to have been taken in Germany. From the circumstance of most collections from the Himalaya mountains
containing examples of this bird, the fact is clearly established that the northern and higher regions of Asia
constitute its native habitat. Our knowledge of this species is so limited that we are unable to state with
certainty whether the black gorget is characteristic of the summer plumage, or whether when once acquired
it is permanent: we suspect the latter to be the case, as we have received specimens in various stages of
plumage, some of which were totally devoid of the black throat, while others had it partially developed ; in

all probability these last were females or immature birds.

The whole of the upper surface is brown with a slight tinge of red, the outer edges of the wing-feathers
being somewhat lighter; throat and chest dull black, each feather being slightly margined with white ; belly
white ; under tail-coverts rufous brown ; bill dark at the point and yellow at the base; feet brown.

The Plate represents a male and a young male or the female of the natural size.