262 SYLVIADJJ. 



temperate and warmer parts of Europe, abundant in Spain 

 and Italy, from the last of which it passes over by Sicily 

 and Malta to North Africa. The Robin was observed by 

 Mr. Strickland at Smyrna in winter ; and the Zoological 

 Society have received specimens sent by Keith Abbott, 

 Esq., from Trebizond. 



In the adult bird, the beak and irides are black ; upper 

 part of the head, neck, back, upper tail-coverts and tail- 

 feathers, a yellowish olive brown ; quill-feathers rather 

 darker, the outer edges olive brown ; greater wing-coverts 

 tipped with buff: over the base of the beak, round the 

 eye, the chin, throat, and upper part of the breast, red- 

 dish orange ; encircling this red is a narrow band of bluish 

 grey, which is broadest near the shoulders ; lower part of 

 the breast and belly white ; sides, flanks, and under tail- 

 coverts, pale brown ; under surface of wing and tail- 

 feathers dusky grey ; legs, toes, and claws, purple brown. 



The whole length of the bird is five inches and three- 

 quarters. The length of the wing from the carpal joint 

 to the end of the longest quill feather, three inches : the 

 first wing-feather but half the length of the second, which 

 is not quite so long as the sixth ; the third, fourth, and 

 fifth nearly equal, and the longest in the wing. 



The female is not quite so large as the male, and her 

 colours are less bright. 



The young birds before their first moult have the brown 

 feathers of the head, back, and wing-coverts tipped with 

 buff or very pale brown ; throat and breast tinged with 

 reddish brown, and margined with dark brown. 



The young birds after their first autumn moult resem- 

 ble adult females ; but the red of the breast is tinged with 

 orange, the legs dark brown. 



The Redbreast is subject to variation in the colouring 

 of the plumage. White and partly white varieties are 



