Kev. H. B. Tristram on the Oi-nithology of Palestine. 87 



few remaining further south to breed. Whether the so-called 

 i?. cairii be a species or not I cannot say, or whether, perhaps, it 

 is only an imperfect state of plumage; but we shot males in that 

 sombre livery in winter at the same time that we obtained a far 

 greater proportion in the full rich plumage, with the white on 

 the wing-coverts very distinct. We had few opportunities of 

 noting it when the season advanced, and did not then obtain 

 any males in the garb of R. cairii. The common Redstart, R. 

 phoenicura, was strictly a summer migrant, arriving simulta- 

 neously all over the country about the 12th March, but only in 

 the more wooded localities and the neighbourhood of gardens. 



The third species, R. semirufa, H. & Ehrenb., is most restricted 

 in its range, occurring only on the higher slopes of Hermon and 

 Lebanon. On the former mountain it is scarce, and though we 

 saw two specimens we were unable to secure them, and our first 

 captures were in June on ascending to Ainat from the plain 

 of Coele Syria, where it was plentiful in the stunted oak-groves. 

 While shy and wary, the male bird is too striking in appear- 

 ance easily to elude observation, and its restlessness, cheerful 

 and varied note, and habit of perching on an exposed bough or 

 stone, expanding and jerking its bright cinnamon tail, soon 

 betray its presence. Though its range is so extremely limited, 

 yet in the Lebanon district it frequents all kind of ground alike, 

 both the naked cliffs and summits of the range, the woods, and 

 especially cedar-groves, and not less the mulberry-plantations of 

 the villages. At the famous Cedars it was very abundant, and 

 we saw at least fifty scattered about there. Its song resounded 

 from the lower boughs of the old patriarchs; but after expand- 

 ing its tail for a few seconds, it always changed its perch and 

 flitted on, sometimes going into the open, perchmg like a Rock- 

 Chat on a boulder, and then dropping out of sight on the other 

 side. The back, wing-coverts, throat, and breast are glossy 

 black, with an iron-grey cap ; the rest of the lower part of the 

 body, with the rump and tail, bright cinnamon, the two middle 

 rectrices alone being for two-thirds of their length a darker 

 russet. There is no trace of white about it anywhere. The 

 female is very like that of the Indian R. aurorea, wanting only 

 the white wing-spot, of a uniform russet, except the tail, which 



