9. RUXICILLA. 



341 



flanks ; inner margin of quills pale brown. Bill, legs, feet, and 

 claws Hack. Wings with the third, fourth, and fifth primaries 

 nearly equal and longest, second primarj- about equal to the seventh, 

 bastard primar}- 0-9 to 0-8 inch. Length of wing 3-5 to 3-3 inches 

 (females 3-3 to 3*2), tail 2-65 to 2-45, culmen 0-57 to 0-54, tarsus 

 1-0 to 0-9. 



In the female in full autumn j>^umage the up'p^T and under tail- 

 coverts and the tail are similar in colour to those of the male ; the 

 rest of the plumage is sooty brown, paler on the margins of the ouf- 

 side webs of the wing-coverts and innermost secondaries, and on the 

 centre of the beUy. In the male in sprinc/ the buifish-brown 

 margins to the feathers on the throat, breast, asillaries, and under 

 wing-coverts are cast, leaving them black ; the black band at the 

 base of the upper mandible has become broader, the head and lower 

 back has become a darker slate-grey, and the upper back, scapulars, 

 and wing-coverts nearly black ; the white on the wing has also be- 

 come less conspicuoiis. The female has become slightly darker, and 

 the pale edges to the wing-feathers have nearly disappeared. It is 

 not known that hinls of the year differ from adults. Young in first 

 plumage ha-\e most of the feathers of the upper and under parts 

 barred at the tips with black. 



The Black Eedstart breeds in Central and Southern Europe, its 

 range extending eastwards as far as West Persia. It is a rare 

 visitor to the British Islands and South Norway and Sweden, and 

 is recorded as having strayed as far north as Iceland. In South 

 Europe it is a partial resident, and has been said to breed in Algeria. 

 It winters in Nubia. 



a,h. S; c. 5 

 imm. St. 



d. cJ ad. sk. 



e. (^ ad. St. 

 /. 2 ad. St. 



(/, h. S imm. sk. 

 i. <S ad. sk. 



k. 2 ^d. sk. 



/. c? ad. sk. 



m. 2 ad. sk. 

 H. J ad. sk. 

 o. 2 ftd. sk. 

 p. 2 ad. sk. 



Europe. 



Europe. 



AN'imbledon Common. 



Brigliton. 



France. 



La Tour, Canton Fribourg, 



April 8, 1876 (i. Oljy/i- 



Galliard). 

 Ariaua, Tunis, Feb. 21, 



1857 (O. S.). 

 Algeria. 



Nubia. 

 Sliiloh. 

 Gadara. 



Smyrna, Nov. 11, 1872 

 {Dr. Kriipei'). 



Purchased. 



Purchased. 



Mr. J. Baker [C.]. 



F. Bond, Esq. [P.]. 



M. Parzudaki. 



R. B. Sharps, Esq. [P.]. 



F. Godman and 0. Salvin, 



Esqrs. [P.]. 

 F. Godman and 0. Salvin, 



Esqrs. [P.]. 

 Dr. Leith Adams [P.]. 

 Canon Tristram [C.]. 

 Canon Tristram [C.]. 

 Baron A. von Iliigel [P.]. 



4. Ruticilla erythroprocta. 



Euricilla erythroprocta, Gould, F. Z. S. 1855, p. 78; id. B. Asia, 

 pt. viii. pi. ]G(1850). 



This species is intermediate between B. tithgs and B. rufiventrls, 

 having the white edges to the secondaries, the nearly black axilla- 



