190 



INSESSORES. PHGENICURA. 



the strain does not bear the strong impassioned character 

 tliat distinguishes it during the spring, and the commence- 

 raent of summer. 



General 

 descrip. 

 tion. 

 Male Bird. 



Plate 46. Fig. 2. The male bird, of the natural size. 



Head and upper parts of the body deep oil-green, tinged 



with yellowish-brown. Forehead, cheeks, throat, and 



breast gallstone-yellow, inclining to reddish-orange, and 



margined round with smoke-grey. Belly white. Flanks 



Female. 



and thighs oil-^reen tinged with brown. 



O O o 



Middle wing- 



coverts tipped with pale orange. Quills greenish-grey. 

 Irides black. Legs and toes yellowish-brown. 

 The breast of the female is not so bright in colour as that 

 of the male ; and the plumage of the young birds has 

 been already noticed. 



Genus PHCENICURA, SirAiNSON. REDSTART. 



GENERIC CHARACTERS. 



Bill rather slender, and somewhat widened at the base ; 

 compressed towards the tip, which is deflected and emargi- 

 nated. Tomia of the mandibles, before the nostrils, bending 

 inwards. Gape slightly bearded. Nostrils basal, oval, late- 

 ral, pierced in a membrane, and partly concealed by the 

 feathers of the forehead. Wings rather long, with the first 

 quill very short ; the second inferior to the third ; the fourth 

 the longest of all. Tail of mean length, slightly rounded 

 or square ; coloured more or less with reddish-brown. Legs 

 having the tarsi longer than the middle toe. Toes slender, 

 but formed nearly upon the same plan as those of genus 

 Erythaca. 



The Redstarts form a prominent and well marked group 

 in the subfamily Saxicolina^ and are distinguished from the 

 other members by the rich reddish-brown that prevails to a 

 greater or less degree in their plumage, particularly in the 



