RARER BRITISH BIRDS. 



BLACK REDSTART. 



Ficedula Tlthys. SCOPOLI. 



THIS Redstart inhabits chiefly the warmer parts of Europe; 

 is found in Italy, and, according to Temminck, usually on stony 

 places, rarely on the plains ; and is very rare in Holland. 



The male bird is cinereous on the crown and back, with a 

 band of black across the shoulders ; chin, and upper part of the 

 breast, black, the lower part having the feathers tipped with 

 cinereous ; between the thighs, white, thighs, black ; two middle 

 tail feathers, dark brown, the outer webs towards the base edged 

 with orange red ; remaining tail feathers, rump, and vent, 

 orange red ; outer web of the secondaries, edged with white. 

 The female is entirely of a brownish ash, with a white patch 

 between the thighs ; tail and vent as in the male, but not of 

 so bright a colour; irides, dark hazel. 



Mr. Gould, in the " Zoological Journal," vol. v. number 17, 

 page 102, records two specimens of this bird, both males, one 

 shot near Bristol, the other near Brighton. In his work on 



