94 RUDDY-BREASTED BIRDS. 



tions. His wholly black head, bold white patches 

 at the sides of the neck and on the wings, and his 

 ruddy breast render confusion with any other bird 

 impossible. Another characteristic facilitating identi- 

 fication is his call-note, ' U-tach ! u-tack-tack ! ' for 

 he will use it immediately his retreat is invaded, 

 perching on the top of some low bush, and continuing 

 to flit from bush to bush with a low, rapid flight 

 as the intruder advances. When undisturbed he 

 perches silently and still upon some prominent twig, 

 anon flitting suddenly to earth and up again, darting 

 into the air to catch some passing insect, and breaking 

 back to his perch in the manner of the Flycatcher, 

 or searching the grass for food like a Whinchat. 

 The Stonechat is the only ruddy -breasted land-bird 

 with a head entirely black. 



WHINCHAT— 5^: inches ; bold white band over eye ; outer 

 tail-feathers conspicuously white, except tips ; white 

 patches at sides of neck and on wings smaller, but 

 white patch covering insertion of tail larger. Call- 

 note very similar. 



BULLFINCH — 6 inches ; has a black cap only, the sides of 

 the face and neck, and the throat, being red, whereas 

 the Stonecliat has head, neck, and throat wholly black. 

 The Bullfinch has a short, blunt bill ; the Stonechat, a 

 relatively longer and sharply pointed bill. 



REDSTART.— Plate 41. SHnches. General colour 

 •of upper parts bluish-gray ; forehead white, running 

 back in a white line over the eyes ; sides of face, 

 throat, and front of neck black ; large wing-feathers 

 dark brown ; breast, rump, and tail-feathers (except 

 two central ones, which arc dark) brilliant orange- 



