186 INSESSORES. SAXICOLA. Chat. 



The young, after quitting the nest, are assiduously attend- 

 ed by the parent birds, until fully capable of providing for 

 themselves ; upon which they separate, and are only to be 

 seen single or in pairs. Mont^^gu has conjectured that a 

 partial migration takes place in autumn, as fewer of these 

 birds are observed in winter than during the summer months. 

 I have not lost sight of this suggestion, and am inclined to 

 think that the greater part of the young of the year do mi- 

 grate in the course of the winter, having repeatedly noticed 

 (in places where the species is abundant) the disappearance 

 of the young as winter approached, whilst the parent birds 

 remained attached to their favourite spot. In very severe 

 storms of snow, even those that winter here are sometimes 

 compelled to quit their usual situations, and take refuge in 

 more enclosed grounds, or in plantations. 



Plate 48. Fig. 3. A male in summer plumage, natural size. 

 General Head and throat black. Sides of the neck, upper parts 



tion. of the wings, and rump white. Breast orange-brown. 



Male bird. The remainder of the under parts white, tinged with 



yellow. Back black, the feathers being edged with yel- 

 lowish-brown. Wings brownish-black ; the feathers 

 edged paler. Bill and legs black. In winter the black 

 feathers of the head and throat are edged with yellow- 

 ish-brown, which disappears as the spring advances. 



Fig. 4. A female bird of the natural size. 

 Female. Head and upper parts umber brown ; the feathers being 



margined paler. Tail and wings brown, edged with 

 yellowish-brown. Throat blackish-brown, mixed with 

 white and yellowish-brown specks. Less white upon 

 the wings and sides of the neck than in the male bird. 

 Breast vellowish-brown. 



