4 $
Place.
48.
LABRADOR
THR.
D escription«
49- „
4- RING
OUZEL.
Description.
Female.
t h r u s h .
- This is faid to inhabit America and is probably a variety
of the others.
J N G T H eight inches and a half. Bill ftrait, a very little
notch at the tip •, one inch long, and black : general colour
o f the plumage a gloffy lhining black, with a variable blue
and green tinge: tail three inches three quarters in length : legs
black : hind toe long, and the claw very flout.
From Labrador. In the colleftion of Sir Jofeph Banks.
T, Urdus torquatus, Lin. Syjl. i. p. 296. N° 23.— Faun. Suec. 221.— Seep. ann. i.
p. 198.—Muller N° 242.— Bruti. N° 237.— Kram. p. 36«. N° 4.—
Frifcb. t. 30.
Le Merle a Collier, Brif orn. ii. p. 235. N° 12.
... — a plaftron blanc, Buf. oif. Hi. p. 34°« ph 3 1 -i5/* enl. 516.
Merulse congener, Rail Syn. p. 67. N° 12.— Will. orn. p. 195.
Ring Ouzel, or Amfel, Rati Syn% p. 65. A. 2.—Will. orn. p. 194.—'^'/-
bin. i. pi. 39.— Br. Zool. i. N° 110. pi. 46.— Arbi. Zool.
Br. Muf. Lev. Muf.
T N fize this rather exceeds a Blackbird : length eleven inches.
Bill blackilh : infide of the mouth yellow: irides hazel. At a
diftance this bird appears o f a dull black, but on infpeftion each
feather is found to be margined with grey or alh-colour: on the
breaft is a large patch of white, pafiing a little backwards like a
collar : the legs are brown.
The female differs in having the white crefcent on the breaft
much lefs confpicuous, and in fome birds quite wanting; which
• Probably the warmer parts of i t ; as it was firft deferibed by Feuillee, whofe
obfervations were confined to South America and the Wtjl Indies, bee Feuilt.
O l f Journ. p. 125. ed. 1725.
has
has occafioned authors to confider it as a different fpecies, under
the name of Rock Ouzel *.
This is not only a Britijh bird, but is likewife met with in manner*!5
many parts- of the old continent, both in the warmer as well as
colder regions f ; alfo in Africa J and Afta §. It is however in
all thefe places noticed as migratory. They come into Burgundy
in France: the beginning of October, in fmall flocks, flaying only
two or three wééks i and are feen again in April or May: probably
only palling and returning to other parts. This circumftance is
likewife obferved to happen in Hampjbire in this kingdom, at the
moft not flaying more than a fortnight at a time.- They are
known to breed both in Wales, Cumberland, and Scotland 3 as
alfo in Dartmoor in Devonjhire, where Mr. Pennant has obferved;
them, and fays that they build on the fidës of ftreams, in. the
banks,, and that they are very clamorous when difturbed..
Others inform us, that they make the neft on the ground, at
the foot of fome low bulb, and that it is formed like that of the
common Blackbird, and the eggs of the fame colour, and five
in number« Now and then one is met with in the more fouthern
parts. Such an ill-fated ftraggler was Ihot near Dartford, about
four years fince, and is now in my colledtion.
The food of this bird confifts of infebis, berries, &c. ; and when
fat its flefti is in much eftimation.
Of this bird varieties have been noticed 3. fome quite'white, V arieties.
and others fpotted with white: as well as a third, which is
bigger than the common one, fpotted. with, white, and without
* Willughby, p. 195# 0
f Not in RuJJia.ViOX Sibiria. Pennant. I f
% Adanfon.
§ About the borders of the Cafpian Sea> wintering in Berfia+
the
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