BRITISH BIRDS. I 5 



so far as to include the two forms under one heading) 

 denies that the present race had been proved to occur in 

 this country prior to date on which he wrote (1888) ; he 

 questions validity of Hancock's specimen said to have 

 been taken near London in 1845 (Birds of Northumberland, 

 p. 67) states that the bird with a white spot observed in the 

 Isle of Wight from 1865 to 1867 (Halting, Handbook 

 p. 104) was entirely blue-throated, and makes no reference 

 to the Scarborough example (Zool., 1876, p. 4956). 



It is distinguished from C. suecica by having patch in 

 centre of blue throat white instead of red, but there is also 

 a third and very rare form having entire throat blue. 

 This last (which does not seem to have occurred with us) 

 is not, however, usually considered separable from the 

 white-spotted race. 



GENUS VII. ERITHACUS, Cuvier (1800). 



Bill moderate, narrow, base depressed. Wings 

 moderate, rounded, 4th, 5th, and 6th quills longest and 

 nearly equal. Plumage lax. 



20. Erithaeus rubecula (Linn.). REDBREAST. 



Hab. Europe, also N.W. Africa, Madeira, and the 

 Azores. In winter partially migratory. Male : plumage 

 soft ; above olive brown ; sides of neck bluish-grey ; 

 forehead, throat and upper breast, orange-red ; centre of 

 abdomen white ; flanks and under tail coverts brownish ; 

 bill black, tarsi brown. Length about 5*80. Female 

 does not differ appreciably from male. Newly-fledged 

 young have feathers spotted with dull yellow, and with 

 blackish brown tips ; throat and breast being lighter than 

 upper parts ; belly dull white ; bill brown ; tarsi 

 yellowish. 



One of the most familiar of British birds. A resident 

 species, breeding commonly even as far north as the 



