48 RUTICILLA 



In its habits it resembles its congeners and affects bush- 

 covered localities, gardens, and orchards. Its nest is frequently 

 shapeless, composed of soft grass, fine rootlets, &c., and lined with 

 the same material or hair, and is placed in a hole in the ground 

 or occasionally on the ground under a tuft of grass or a dense 

 bush ; the eggs, 3 to 5 but usually 4 in number are deposited 

 from March to June and are pale bluish green marked with 

 brownish red, and measure about 0'67 by 0'55. Its song is clear 

 and good, and is said to be superior to that of P. maura. 



74. MOUSSIER'S STONECHAT. 

 PRATINCOLA MOUSSIERI. 



Pratincola moussieri (Olplie. Galliard.), Ann. Soc. d'Agricult. &c., Lyon, 

 iv. pi. xi. (1852) ; (Dresser), ii. p. 301, pi. 45 ; (Sharpe), Cat. B. Br. 

 Mus. vii. p. 20 ; Koenig. J. f. 0. 1895 p. 304. 



< ad (Algeria). Crown, sides of head, back and wings black ; a white 

 line across the forehead and over the eye to the nape ; alar patch white ; 

 rump, upper tail-coverts and lateral tail-feathers orange chestnut ; central 

 rectrices brown ; under parts pale chestnut, bill and legs black ; iris brown. 

 Culmen 0'52, wing 2'6, tail 2'0, tarsus I'O inch. The female has the 

 upper parts greyish brown, the under parts dull greyish orange, the tail 

 duller in colour. 



Hob. Morocco, Algeria, and Tunis, but it is doubtful if, as has 

 been stated, it has occurred in southern Spain. 



In its general habits it resembles the common Stonechat and 

 its flight is similar but rather slower and like that bird it 

 affects bush -covered localities. Its nest, which is constructed of 

 grass-bents and lined with hair and feathers, is placed on the 

 ground under a bush, and the eggs, 4 to 5 in number, which 

 are deposited in April or May, are delicate bluish or greenish 

 white, occasionally pure white, and measure 07 by 0'55. 



RUTICILLA, C. L. Brehm, 1828. 



75. REDSTART. 

 RUTICILLA PHCENICURUS. 



Ruticilla phccmcurus (Linn.), Syst, Nat. i. p. 335 (1766) ; (Nanmann), 

 iii. p. 510, Taf. 79, figs. 1, 2 ; Gould, B. of Gt. Brit. ii. pi. 51 ; Newton, 

 i. p. 329 ; Dresser, ii. p. 227, pi. 41 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. 

 p. 336 ; Saundere, p. 31 ; Lilford, iii. p. 14, pi. 7 ; Phanicura ruticilla y 

 Gould, B. of E. ii. pi. 95 ; Hewitson, i. p. 104, pi. xxix. fig. 2; 



