228 MUSCICAFID.E. 



motions and the white mark on then- tail remind one, he says, 

 of the smaller species of Sa.rtcola. 



The male of this Flycatcher in breeding plumage has 

 much of the appearance of our familiar Redbreast. The top 

 of the head is smoky-grey ; the lores whitish ; cheeks, ear- 

 coverts and sides of the neck light bluish-grey ; orbital 

 feathers white ; scapulars and back mouse-colour, passing 

 into blackish-grey on the rump, the upper tail-coverts being 

 edged with whitish. Wing-coverts and primaries dark hair- 

 brown, the outer edge of the latter lighter ; the first quill 

 extremely short, the second considerably shorter than the 

 third, which is slightly longer than the fifth but shorter than 

 the fourth — the longest in the wing ; the secondaries like 

 the primaries but with the light edge broader and the tip 

 whitish. Tail of ten feathers, blackish-brown — the middle 

 pair entirely so, but the rest with more or less of a white 

 basal or median patch extending across one or both webs, 

 increasing in size from the outer pair, which have it only on 

 the inner web, to the third pair, and then decreasing to the 

 pair next the middle, which have it only on the outer web. 

 Chin, throat and upper part of the breast light reddish- 

 orange, belly white tinged on the sides and flanks with bufi" ; 

 lower tail-coverts like the flanks but paler ; inside of the 

 wings pale yellowish-buff. The bill is said to be horn- 

 colour, the upper mandible darkest, irides hazel, legs, toes 

 and claws dark brown. 



A male in winter resembles the former, but the top of the 

 head is like the back, and there is no trace of bluish-grey on 

 its sides ; the throat is dull buff" with dusky transverse bars, 

 and the whole lower surface more suffused with dull buff". 



The old female has a general likeness to the male in 

 winter ; but the whole upper surface inclines to hair-brown, 

 the tips of the wdng-coverts and tertials are buff, the lower 

 surface except a band of light brow^n across the breast is paler. 



The young in autumn resemble the female ; but the 

 colours are everywhere lighter, and there is hardly any trace 

 of buff" beneath. The nestlings are said to have a spotted 

 plumage, which they lose at a very early age. 



