. British birds. Birds. LETTERS To the Editors of British Birds. BRITISH SONG-THRUSHES. Sirs,—I wish to say a few words about our " British Song-Thrushes." I care not whether their name be T. musicus—auctoruni plurimorutn— or T. philomelos, in this connection, because " British Song Thrushes " {sic) will do quite as wolh What I desire to refer most directly to is : the differences which exist between the usual typical olive-backed British-nesting Song- Thrush and that variety which is found nestmg tliroughout the Outer Hebrides. The exceedingly dark olive—almost a smoky-bla

. British birds. Birds. LETTERS To the Editors of British Birds. BRITISH SONG-THRUSHES. Sirs,—I wish to say a few words about our " British Song-Thrushes." I care not whether their name be T. musicus—auctoruni plurimorutn— or T. philomelos, in this connection, because " British Song Thrushes " {sic) will do quite as wolh What I desire to refer most directly to is : the differences which exist between the usual typical olive-backed British-nesting Song- Thrush and that variety which is found nestmg tliroughout the Outer Hebrides. The exceedingly dark olive—almost a smoky-bla

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. British birds. Birds. LETTERS To the Editors of British Birds. BRITISH SONG-THRUSHES. Sirs,—I wish to say a few words about our " British Song-Thrushes." I care not whether their name be T. musicus—auctoruni plurimorutn— or T. philomelos, in this connection, because " British Song Thrushes " {sic) will do quite as wolh What I desire to refer most directly to is : the differences which exist between the usual typical olive-backed British-nesting Song- Thrush and that variety which is found nestmg tliroughout the Outer Hebrides. The exceedingly dark olive—almost a smoky-black—is most con- spicuous. No good observer in the field can fail to see this even at a distance of a fifty-yards rise, out of the heather, and during the bird's quick flight of a few yards further. Now, Dr. Hartert has as yet, I think, only got so far as to distinguish between our British home-bred Song-Thrushes and others of continental localities. May I be permitted to make one more step—forward ? (or otherwise—). I clearly distinguish between our Hebridean home- bred Song-Thrushes and those which we have with us here in our central districts and on the mainland as a whole. I cannot, from memory or field notes, say what other shades of olive tints occur in the backs of Song-Thrushes in other parts of England, or in Britain north of Tweed. But I am sure that I can point my finger at yet one other colour of back in Scotch-bred Song-Thrushes, and that on certain jDor- tions of the east coast of Scotland, taking the month of May as choice of a right time to make the observation. Again, at a distance of thu'ty to fifty yards the almost absence of olive at all on the backs of the birds flying away from the observer was quite as conspicuous, and eciually startling, as was the deeper tone of olive (or smoky-blackness) of the backs of those of the Western Isles, as distinguished from the typical olive-backs of our general mainland birds. Here, then, we have three grades