"T" 



FAMILiAR WILD BIRDS. 



THE BLACK REDSTAKT. 



Sylvia tithys. 

 Fhoenicura tithys. 



HIS elegant little bird, some- 

 times known as the Black- 

 staj^t and Black Bed-tail, is 

 of migratory habits, arriving 

 in this country as a rule 

 about October, and staying 

 with us until late in the 

 ensuing, spring. It has 

 hitherto been considered a 

 decidedly rare bird ; but, al- 

 though it certainly cannot 

 be regarded anywhere as 

 common, there can be no 

 doubt that it is far more 

 plentifully distributed than 

 is usually supposed. The 

 writer has within the past 

 few years met with several 

 in the vicinity of Brighton, 

 and it is therefore fair to 

 suppose that the statements 

 concerning its extreme rarity 

 arise more from insufficient 

 observation than actual fact. 



