482 RARE BRITISH BIRDS 



also breeds in Asia Minor (Taurus), but is replaced in the Caucasus and Elburz ranges by the 

 eastern form. Has occurred in Germany, Belgium, and a few times (at least once, Sussex, 1911) 

 in England. [F. c. E. J.] 



[AMERICAN-ROBIN [Tiirdus migratorius Linnaeus. Redbreasted-thrush (?). German, 

 Wanderdrossel]. Inhabits east and northern N. America, and winters in the southern 

 United States, and occasionally Bermudas and Cuba. Has been recorded for the British Isles, 

 but was in all cases probably an escaped captive. Has recently been introduced. [F. c. R. J.] ] 



ROCK-THRUSH [Monticola saxdtilis (Linnaeus). French, merle a roche ; German, Steindrossel, 

 Steinrotel ; Italian, codirossone]. 



1. Description. Recognised by its slate-blue head and throat, and by its bright chesnut 

 under parts. Sexes unlike in coloration. Length 8J in. [215 mm.]. The adult male has the 

 entire head and neck slate-blue, shading into bluish black on the upper back, rump, and 

 scapulars ; middle of the back white, each feather tipped with bluish black ; upper tail-coverts 

 and tail reddish chesnut ; middle tail feathers with the terminal two-thirds blackish brown ; 

 primaries and secondaries blackish brown, tipped with whitish; chest, breast, belly, thighs, 

 under tail-coverts, axillaries, and under wing-coverts uniform chesnut-red ; bill, legs, and feet 

 black. In the female the upper surface is brown, each feather indistinctly barred at the 

 tip with black ; upper tail-coverts and tail as in the male ; under surface of the body pale 

 brownish chesnut, with the subterminal bar of black ; axillaries and under wing-coverts pale 

 chesnut. After the autumn moult the whole plumage is spangled with light chesnut above 

 and with whitish below, [w. p. p. and T. w.] 



2. Distribution. Breeds in the mountains of North-west Africa, and also in those of 

 Southern and Central Europe (Spain, Pyrenees, France locally, the Alpine region, some of the 

 Mediterranean islands, locally in Germany, Austro-Hungary, Poland, Italy, the Balkan 

 Peninsula, and the Caucasus). In Asia it breeds from Asia Minor, Lebanon, and Hermon east 

 through Persia and Turkestan to South Siberia, Mongolia, and North China. European birds 

 migrate chiefly to tropical Africa, wintering south to British East Africa, the Gold Coast, etc. ; 

 and Asiatic birds winter in North-west India and China. Has occurred casually on Heligoland, 

 and five times or more in Great Britain (Sussex two, Orkneys two, and Herts one). [F. c. R. j.] 



WESTERN RUSSET- WHEATEAR [Oendnthe 1 hispdnica hispdnica (Linnaeus); Saxicola 

 stapazina (Linnaeus); Saxicola occidentdlis Salvadori. Western blackthroated and 

 blackeared wheatears. French, cul-blanc roux ; German, Schwarzkehliger-steinschmdtzer 

 or Ohren-Steinschindtzer ; Italian, monticJiella\. 



1. Description. Has the same black wing lining as the eastern russet-wheatear, but it 

 differs therefrom in that, after the autumn moult, the light areas are of a bright ochreous yellow, 

 and in spring, when the plumage is abraded, of a pale cream colour, almost white. The sexes 

 differ in coloration. Adult male, length 6 in. [153 mm.]. Feathers at the base of the culmen, 

 the lores, a stripe over the eye, the ear-coverts, wings and scapulars are of a deep black ; the 

 rest of the head, nape, back, rump, and upper tail-coverts are of a bright ochre-yellow ; the two 

 central tail feathers black, white on the basal third ; remainder of the tail white, tipped and 

 margined on the inner and outer webs with black ; under surface cream coloured, deepening 

 into ochraceous brown on the breast. Adult female forehead, lores, and a stripe over the eyes 

 buff; ear-coverts brownish-buff ; upper parts dark buff, with the exception of the rump and 



1 Since Volume I. of the British Bird Book was published it has been shown that the generic name Saxicola belongs 

 rightly to the Chats (hitherto generally known as Pratincola), and the correct name of the Wheatears is therefore 

 Oenanthe. 



