RUTICILLA PHCENICURUS 65 



RUTICILLA PHCENICURUS (Linnmus). 



REDSTAET. 



Motacilla phoenicurus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 335 (1766). 



Ruticilla phoenicurus, Seebohm, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. v, p. 336 ; 



E danger, J.f. 0. 1899, p. 217. 

 Ruticilla phoenicura, Malherhc, Faune Ornith. de I'Alg. p. 14 (1855) ; 



Loche, Expl. Sci. Alg. Ois. i, p. 215 (1867) ; Koenig, J. f. 0. 1888, p. 



203 ; id. J. f. 0. 1892, p. 404 ; Whitaker, Ibis, 1894, p. 88. 



Description— Adult male, spring, from Gafsa, South Tunisia. 



Forehead and superciharies white ; crown, nape, back, scapulars and 

 upper wing-coverts bluish-grey ; lower back, runap, upper tail-coverts and 

 tail, excepting the two central rectrices, a rich rusty orange colour ; the 

 two central rectrices dull brown ; wings brown ; lores, a line extending over 

 the base of the bill, eye region, ear-coverts and throat black ; breast and 

 flanks bright orange ; abdomen whitish ; under tail-coverts pale rufous. 



Iris dark brown ; bill black ; feet dark brown. 



Total length 5'75 inches, wing 3'20, culmen -45, tarsus '85. 



Adult female, spring, from Gafsa, South Tunisia. 



Upper plumage much browner and duller than in the male, and lacking 

 the white forehead, and black on the head ; chin greyish-white ; breast and 

 rest of underparts greyish, tinged with orange ; tail of a duller rust-colour 

 than in the male. 



Iris dark brown ; bill and feet brown. 



Measurements rather less than in the male. 



The common Eedstart occurs throughout Tunisia generally as a 

 migrant, being particularly abundant during the spring passage, and 

 a certain number of individuals also winter in the oases and more 

 southern districts. 



Although I have no positive knowledge cf the fact, I think it not 

 improbable that a few of these birds may breed in the Eegency. 

 I certainly have a note of a Redstart having been met with by Mr. 

 Aplin near El-Kef on May 2nd, a late date for such an early migrant 

 to be found still in the country, were it not nesting there. 



During the height of the spring migration the Tunisian oases and 

 gardens swarm with Redstarts, and numbers of the birds are then 

 snared by the Arab boys, together with Nightingales and other 

 Warblers. 



When actually on migration the Redstart may sometimes be 

 found in small parties, but as a rule it is to be met with either 



5 



