424 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Primaries : 1st minute, less than half primary-coverts, 3rd longest, 

 2nd occasionally as' long, usually 1-3 mm. shorter, 4th 3-5 shorter, 

 5th 12-15 shorter, 6th 18-22 shorter ; 3rd clearly and 4th slightly, 

 emarginated outer webs. Secondaries slightly shorter than 10th 

 primary, tips square. Tail very slightly rounded laterally, 12 

 feathers, tips rounded. Bill somewhat slender and culmen very 

 little curved except at tip, where upper mandible projects beyond 

 lower. Nostrils uncovered. A few small nasal and rictal bristles. 

 Soft parts. Bill dark brown, paler at base of lower mandible ; 

 legs and feet brown ; iris dark bright brown. 



CHARACTERS. No subspecies. The short and red tail serves to 

 distinguish it in all plumages. 



FIELD -CHARACTERS. Haunts rocky ground at high elevations as a 

 rule. Adult male quite unmistakable ; white rump, blue head and 

 orange breast and tail with black wings. Female has generally 

 spotted appearance, which is also shared by young. Fulvous tail 

 with middle feathers brown forms good character for both. Song 

 frequently uttered on wing by male in breeding-season while flying 

 from point to point. (F.C.R.J.) 



BREEDING-HABITS. Haunts rocky ground, old ruins, precipices 

 etc. Nest. Placed in hole among rocks or walls, and rather neatly 

 built of grasses, roots, and moss, lined fine grasses and roots. Eggs. 

 4 to 5, sometimes 6, pale blue, often unmarked, or with faint red- 

 brown spots. Slightly deeper in tint on average than eggs of Blue 

 Hock-Thrush. Average of 92 eggs, 25.9x19.5 mm. Breeding- 

 season. First layings may be found from early May onward ; also 

 in June. Said to be double brooded by some writers. Incubation. 

 Chiefly if not entirely by hen ; period 16 days (Naumann). 



FOOD. Insects of all kinds, including coleoptera (some very large), 

 orthoptera, diptera, lepidoptera, etc. Also spiders, small mollu&ca 

 and berries of various kinds, and probably also worms. 



DISTRIBUTION. Great Britain. Five or more. One Therfield 

 (Herts.) May 19, 1843 (Saunders, p. 17). Male obtained and another 

 seen Pentland Skerries Light (Orkneys) May 17, 1910 (W. E. Clarke, 

 (Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1910, p. 148, 1911, p. 135). Male and 

 female (young) Pett (Sussex) Sept. 1 and 2, 1911 (H. W. Ford- 

 Lindsay, Brit. B., v, p. 130). [One said to have been seen, near 

 Whit by (Yorks.) June, 1852, and another said to have been shot 

 at Cobham (Kent).] 



DISTRIBUTION. Abroad. North-west Africa, south and middle 

 Europe (casual Heligoland), east to south Siberia and north China, 

 wintering in tropical Africa, north India, Buima and China. 



