68 BIRDS OF TUNISIA 



being noticeable in the sternum of E. nigra as compared with that of 

 B. titys, apparently its nearest ally, as also the slight difference in the 

 respective measurements of the two species, would not necessarily 

 be surprising. Whatever may be its explanation, however, the case 

 is a singularly interesting one. 



The specimens in question are preserved in the Koyal Zoological 

 Museum at Florence under the Nos. 3,906 and 3,907 of the Bird series. 



Subfamily SYLVIIN^. 



CYANECULA SUECICA (Linnffius). 



ORANGE-SPOTTED BLUETHROAT. 



Motacilla suecica, Linn. Sijst. Nat. i, p. 336 (1766). 



Cyanecula suecica, Brehm, Vdg. DeutscJil. p. 350 (1831) ; Koenig, J. f. 0. 



1888, p. 205 ; id. J. f. 0. 1892, p. 412. 

 Erithacus coeruleculus, Seehohn, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. v, p. 308. 



Description. — Adult male, from Europe. 



Upper parts brown, darkest on the crown and lores ; forehead and a 

 stripe over the eyes dull white ; wings, median rectrices and terminal half 

 of the other rectrices dark brown, the basal portion of the latter being bright 

 rufous ; chin, throat and pectoral gorget glossy ultramarine-blue, with a 

 central patch bright rufous ; below the blue gorget successive narrow bands 

 of black, white and rufous ; abdomen dull white, flanks and sides light 

 brown ; axillaries and under tail-coverts pale rufous. 



Iris, bill and feet brown. 



Total length 575 inches, wing 310, culmen -50, tarsus 1-10. 



The female generally has the whole of the underparts tawny-white, with 

 the exception of the breast, which has a dark brown band across it, but very 

 adult birds show some blue and rufous feathers there also. 



Observations. — The size of the rufous breast patch varies in individuals. 

 Occasionally specimens are met with having the rufous patch surrounded 

 by a white ring. 



Both the Orange-spotted and the White-spotted Bluethroat 

 apparently occur in Tunisia, but the former is probably extremely 

 rare there and of merely accidental occurrence. The latter, although 



