52 BRITISH BIRDS, WITH THEIR NESTS AND EGGS. 



The Bluethroat is sometimes obtainable, for I know of two aviculturists 

 who have kept it ; Mr. Abrahams says that it has never come into his hands, 

 but Mr. Dresser informs me that he has seen it offered for sale in the market 

 of St. Petersburg. 



Family TURDID&. , Subfamily TURDIN&. 



THE REDBREAST. 



Erithacus rubecula, LlNN. 



THE Robin breeds throughout Europe northwards to the Arctic circle, east- 

 wards across Russia to the Ural Mountains, southwards to the south of 

 Spain, the west of Northern Africa, the Canaries, Madeira and the Azores. In 

 autumn it migrates southwards to Southern Europe, the Sahara, Egypt, Palestine, 

 Asia Minor, N.W. Turkestan and Persia. In Great Britain it is generally dis- 

 tributed ; it has not however, hitherto, been known to breed in the Shetlands. 



Although called Redbreast the breast is rather tawny sienna than red. The 

 adult male has the upper parts olivaceous brown, slightly more ruddy on the 

 crown; outer wing-coverts with the tip of the outer web buff; primaries dark 

 ashy grey, with brownish outer webs, secondaries narrowly tipped with whitish ; 

 a frontal band, the lores, ear-coverts, chin, throat, and breast tawny sienna, or 

 orange chestnut ; belly pure white ; flanks and vinder tail-coverts sandy brownish 

 shading off into buffish white ; tail below ashy : bill black, feet brown, iris almost 

 black. 



The female has the frontal band, lores, and chin more smoky, and the 

 throat of a duller, more sandy, hue excepting at the sides ; the crown of the 

 head and the bill are also broader than in the male. 



Nestlings have all the small feathers of the upper and under surfaces 

 spotted in the centre with buff and tipped with blackish ; but birds of the year 

 differ but little from their parents excepting that their colours are a little paler. 



