PASSERINE. 279 
Thrushes. It is the Zurdus leucurus, Lath., Synops. II, pl. 
383(1) or the Saaxicola cachinnans, Tem. 
Sytvia, Wolf and Meyer.—Ficeputa, Bech. 
The beak a very little narrower at base than in the preceding. 
They are solitary birds, generally nestling in holes, and feeding on 
insects, worms and berries. There are four species in France. 
Mot. rubicola, L.; Rouge-gorge, Enl. 361, 13 Naum. 75, 1, 2. 
(The Stonechat.) A brown grey above; throat and breast red; 
belly white; builds near the ground in the woods, is prying and 
familiar. Some of them remain during the winter, and seek 
for refuge from the extreme cold in houses, where they soon 
become tamed. 
Mot. suecia, L.; Gorge-bleue, Enl. 361, 2; Naum. 75, 3, 4, 5. 
Brown above, blue throat, red breast, white belly; rarer than 
the preceding, nestles on the edge of woods and marshes. 
Mot. phenicurus, 1.3 Rossignol de muraille, Enl. 3513 Naum. 
79, 1, 2. Brown above; throat black; breast, rump, and lateral 
quills of the tail, light reds; it nestles in old walls, and has a 
soft song, with something of the modulations of the Nightingale. 
Mot. erithacus, tytys, gibraltariensis, atrata, Gm.; Edw. 29; 
Naum. 79, 3, 4. Differs from the preceding, and principally 
in the breast, which, as well as the throat, is black. It is much 
more uncommon.(2) 
Curruca, Bechst. 
A straight beak, slender throughout, slightly compressed before; 
the upper mandible a little curved near the point. The most cele- 
brated of this subgenus is 
(1) Add to the saxicole, Mot. caprata, Enl. 235;—WM. fulicata, Enl. 185, 1;—M. 
philippensis, Ib. 2;—the patre, Vaill. Afr. p. 180. 
And to the wheat-ear, M. leucothoa, Enl. 583, 2;—the zmitateur, Vaill., Afr. 181, 
Id.;—the familier, 1d. 183 ;—the montagnard, Id. 184;—the fourmillier, 186;—Mot. 
leucomela, Falc. Voy. Ill, xxx, and Col. 257, 3. Add, Sazic. aurita, t., Col. 257, 
1;—S. monacha, Col. 359, 1;—S. deserti, Ib. 2. 
The Mot. cyanea, Gm., Lath., Syn. Il, pl. liii, has the beak of a Saxicola, and 
only differs from it in having a rather longer tail. Vieill. Gal. 163, has placed it in 
his genus Merron or Matunus, afterwards converted into a receptacle for all kinds 
of birds with elongated and cuneiform tails, such as the Mérion bridé, Tem. Col. 
385, which is a Thrush;—the M. natté and the M. leucoptére, Quoy and Gaym. Voy. 
de Freycin. pl. 23, which approach the Coly; the flateur of Vaill. (AZ africana), 
Afr. 112, which is closely allied to Synallaxis, &e. 
(2) Add the Blue bird of Amer. Mot. sialis, Enl. 590; Mot. Calliope, Lath. Syn. 
Supp. I, front. [See App. XVIT of Am. Ed.] 
