THE ROCK-THRUSHES. 283 



The Rock-Thrush is the sole representative of the genus 

 Monticola, 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, 



I. 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. 



I 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, i'o. 



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 



