THE ROCK-THRUSHES. 283 



The Rock-Thrush is the sole representative of the genus 

 Monticold) the Blue Rock-Thrushes having a much longer tail, 

 more than half the length of the wing, and being distinguished 

 as a separate genus, Petrophila. A species from Southern 

 Europe, P. cyanea, was at one time stated to have occurred 

 in Ireland, but the record was wholly false. 



THE-ROCK THRUSH. MONTICOLA SAXATILIS. 



Turdus saxatilis, Linn., Syst. Nat, i., p. 294 (1766). 

 Monticola saxatilis, Dresser, B. Eur., ii., p. 129, pis. 16, 17 



(1872); Newt. ed. Yarr., i., p. 292 (1872); Seeb., Cat. B. 



Brit. Mus.,v., p. 313 (1881); id. Br. B., i, p. 281 (1883); 



B. O. U. List Br. B., p. 5 (1883); Lilford, Col. Fig. Br. 



B., pt. i. (1885); Saunders, Man., p. 17 (1889). 



Adult Male. General colour blackish with a slaty gloss ; 

 centre of back white with slaty margins to the feathers ; rump 

 slaty-blackish; upper tail-coverts orange-chestnut; wing-coverts 

 slaty-blackish, like the scapulars, with obsolete white tips to 

 the coverts ; primary-coverts and quills dusky brown, the 

 secondaries with narrow white tips, the innermost pale brown 

 at the ends ; tail-feathers orange-chestnut, except the two 

 centre ones, which are ashy-brown ; crown of head and neck 

 all round, as well as the entire throat, greyish-blue ; remainder 

 of under surface from the lower throat downwards, bright 

 orange-chestnut, with a few greyish edgings to the feathers of 

 the lower breast ; under wing-coverts and axillaries like the 

 breast ; quills dusky, ashy along the inner web ; bill, feet, and 

 claws black ; iris hazel. Total length, 7 inches ; culmen, o'8 ; 

 wing, 4*65; tail, 2*2; tarsus, ro. 



Adult Female. Different from the male. Ashy-brown above, 

 mottled with whity-brown edges to the feathers, before which 

 is a subterminal blackish bar ; the rump barred with pale 

 ochreous edges to the feathers ; upper tail-coverts and tail 

 bright cinnamon ; the two centre tail-feathers ashy-brown, and 

 the others with a small brown mark near the end of the outer 

 web ; crown of head like the back, the forehead more hoary ; 

 lores dull white ; ear-coverts dull white, streaked with dusky 



