274 FRUTICICOLA RUBETRA. 



renders itself consjjicuous by its habit of perching on the top 

 twigs of bushes, whence it sallies forth in pursuit of insects. 

 Its bill is of moderate length, considerably dilated at the base, 

 compressed towards the end, the edges of both mandibles sharp 

 and inclined outwards. The tongue is fiv^e -twelfths of an inch 

 long, narrow-sagittate, a little concave above, thin-edged, the 

 margins lacerated towards the tip, which is slit. The oesopha- 

 gus is an inch and eleven-twelfths long, its average diameter 

 two-twelfths. The stomach is broadly elliptical, compressed, 

 eight-twelfths long, its lateral muscles large. The intestine is 

 seven inches long, and varies in width from two and a half 

 twelfths to tw^o-twelfths ; the coeca oblong, one-twelfth long, 

 and an inch distant from the extremity. 



The nostrils are elliptical, pervious, w^ith a small operculum, 

 and only three quarters of a twelfth long. The aperture of the 

 eyes is a twelfth and a half; that of the ears three-twelfths. 

 The tarsi are of moderate length, slender, and much com- 

 pressed, their anterior scutella indistinct, excepting the lower 

 four ; the toes small, much compressed ; the first with eight, 

 the second with ten, the third with thirteen, the fourth with 

 twelve scutella ; the claws long, slightly arched, extremely com- 

 pressed, laterally grooved, tapering to an extremely acute point. 



The plumage is very soft and blended ; the feathers ovate, 

 with loose filaments ; the bristle-feathers at the base of the 

 upper mandible rather strong. The wings are of moderate 

 length, a little curved, with eighteen quills, wdiich are all 

 rounded ; the first primary very small, being about a third of 

 the length of the second, which is but slightly shorter than the 

 third and fourth ; the third, fourth and fifth are cut out on the 

 outer edges towards the end. The wing thus, in the form of its 

 tip, resembles that of the White-rumped Stonechat, but is pro- 

 portionally shorter and less straight. The tail is short, nearly 

 even, the lateral feathers a little shorter ; all the feathers rounded. 



The bill and feet are black. The iris dusky brown. The 

 general colour of the upper parts is pale yellowish-red, streaked 

 with oblong blackish-brown spots, the central part of each fea- 

 ther being of the latter colour. A white band extends over the 

 eye, from near the middle of the forehead to the side of the oc- 



