LUSCINIA.
'Fail slightly rounded, tarsus long. Frequent woods or near woods; nest near or on ground; eggs greenish or bluish brown, faintly spotted.
Luscinia megarhyncha megarhyncha Brehm. NIGHTINGALE. Fr. Rossignol ; Ger. Nachtigall ; //a/. Russig nuolo.
? Above olive brown, reddish on upper tail coverts and tail ; beneath white or pale brown, especially on breast and flanks, under tail coverts buff ; 1st primary about 2 m.m. beyond coverts, 2nd between 5th and 6th, 3rd and 4th longest, 3rd and 4th emarginate. Bill dark brown, paler below at base. Legs and feet brown. Wing j 80-89, ? 78-83. Tarsus 25-27. Bill 10-12. Tail 68-72.
Breeds.—England, Continental Europe north to Denmark, plains of Germany and Poland west of Vistula, Carpathians, Hungary, S.W. Russia to Crimea ; Asia Minor, Palestine, N.W. Africa. In Mediterranean Islands chiefly on passage, but some breed Sicily, Sardinia, Corsica, Crete. Migrates ; winters tropical Africa.
L. megarhyncha golzii (Cabanis). Paler, greyer than " megarhyncha" ; tail longer, 82-88.' Wing d ? 91-95 (H.).
Preeds.—Western Asia. has occurred at Orenburg.
"L. m. corsa" Parrot (brownish grey on breast and flanks), described from Corsica, does not appear separable from typical form.
Luscinia luscinia (L.). THRUSH NIGHTINGALE. Ger. Sprosser ; Swear. Naktergal.
d ? Upper parts darker than in "megarhyncha" and less red especially on tail ; brown of underparts darker, olive tinged ; ist primary shorter than coverts, 3rd longest, and about equal to 4th. Wing 84-92 (H.). Tarsus 25-28. Bill 10-12.
Breeds.—S. and C. Sweden, Denmark (except N. and W. Jutland), S. and S.E. Finland, Germany (Baltic Coast to E. Prussia), Poland E. of Vistula, Silesia, Rumanian Mountains, S. and C. Russia from Orenburg and Ufa south to Volga Delta and Crimea, N. Caucasus ; also W. Siberia. Occurs on passage Bulgaria, Asia Minor, Egypt. Winters S. Arabia and E. Africa. Has occurred British Isles, Switzerland, Italy.
Luscinia calliope (Pallas). SIBERIAN RUBY-THROAT.
d Above olive brown ; supercilium and rictal stripe white, lores black ; throat scarlet ; chest grey, rest of underparts brown, middle of abdomen whitish. Bill in winter brown, paler at base below ; in summer, black. Legs and feet greyish brown. Wing 74-83. Tarsus 31-33. Culmen 15-IS (H.). ? Supercilium buff colour, throat white.
Breeds.—E. Russia, Perm Govt. south to Irbit ; and through Siberia to China and Kamtschatka. Winters S. Asia. Has occurred France, Italy, Caucasus.
Luscinia suecica suecica (L.). RED-SPOTTED BLUE THROAT. Fr. Gorge bleue h tache rouge ; Ger. Blaukelchen ; /fit/. Pett'azzuro a macchia rossa ; Saved. Blahake-sAngaren.
d summer. Above brown ; throat and upper breast blue, red spot in centre ; beneath the blue a black band and then a chestnut one ; abdomen white, flanks greyish brown ; basal half of tail chestnut ; distance from tip of ,secondaries to tip of wing j io-16 m.m., y 9-14 ; zild primary equal to 6th or between 6th and 7th. Bill dark brown, paler at base below. Legs and feet brown. Wing a 69-74, ? 65-74. Tarsus 25-28. Bill 9-11. After autumn moult, throat is whitish with some blue showing and breast bands are tipped with white. y much the same as j after autumn moult, but throat buffish with a dark stripe on each side and across breast and occasional traces of blue and rufous.
Brecds.—N. Sweden, Lapland and N. Russia ; also tundras of W. Siberia. Migrates across E. Europe and Transcaspia and winters in Egypt and N.E. Africa ; very rare W. Europe.
L. suecica gaetkei (Kleinschmidt). Larger. Wing more pointed, distance from secondaries to wing tip, d 15-19, Q 14-17.
Wing d" Brecds.—Mountains of Norway. Occurs on passage British Isles, Heligoland, Holland and W. Europe.
L. suecica pallidogularis (Sarudny). Blue of throat paler and also upper parts. Wing j 71-75 (H.). znd primary between 6th and 7th, or 7th and 8th.
Breeds.—E. Russia (Orenburg) and Transcaspia to Turkestan. Winters in Egypt and India.
L. suecica cyanecula (Wolf). White-spotted Bluethroat. j Like "suecica" j but blue of throat somewhat darker and central spot is white ; sometimes white is obscured by blue tips, making throat all blue. Wing d 72-74. Tarsus 25-27. Bill y as y "suecica." Breeds.—Denmark (rare), Holland (local), Belgium (rare), N. and C. France, across Mid Europe to W. Russia. Occurs on passage Rumania, Balkans (except Greece), Italy, Spain, Egypt, and N.W. Africa ; has occurred Canaries. Rare visitor to Britain, Malta, Sardinia, Corsica.
L. suecica volgm (Kleinschmidt). j Central throat spot smaller than in "cyanecula," variable in colour, generally white, but sometimes red or mixed.
Breeds.—S. Russia, Poltava to Lower Volga and north to Sarpa R. ; also Transcaspia. Winters in Egypt.
L. suecica magna (Sarudny and Loudoun). Throat blue with out any spot, or only faint indications of white. Wing 82. Tarsus 28. (froai feathers) 17-1, (from gape) 18.3 (H.).
Preeds.—S.W. Persia, Arabistan, Armsnia. Occurs Egypt on spring passage.