278 Mr. Hubert D. Astj.ey,


encrusted with earth : but it looked as if he had been unsuccess¬

ful by his puffy appearance and his appetite for supper! It is

curious that a wild-caught bird should be so helpless.


This Blue-headed Rock Thrush must not be confused with

the other Rock Thrush, which is found in the same part of the

world, and which is considerably larger : the male being mostly

blue on the upper parts, with a chestnut breast and lower parts.


This one is Petrocincla erythrogaster. I am not sure that he

is styled Petrocincla by those who love many names and divisions

of families. Gould calls him a “Tardus.” He is also a bird much

to be desired.


3? •X


II. Then there is the lovely little BuJE Bush Chat.


Picture a glorified Wheatear. He is smaller than that


bird. His upper parts are a rich blue-grey ; a black stripe runs

through his eye with a white eyebrow, and his underparts are

bright chestnut. A very graceful little bird, which flirts and

jerks his tail up and down, and by this, tells you a great deal

of what he is thinking about.


Unlike the Wheatear, he keeps amongst thick shrubs ; and

is, I should think, difficult to catch sight of. He too will take a

mealworm from the fingers ; indeed, for that matter, so will all

the birds about which I am discoursing.


There is something very fascinating about all the members

of the Chat tribe, and they are extremely intelligent.


ir 3 ?


III. The Pi.umbeous Redstart. (.Ryacornis fuliginosjis).


There is one to be seen (also brought over by Capt.


Perreau) in the Bird House, at the Zoo, in Regent’s Park.


He is not unlike the European Black Redstart. Except

for his tail, which is chestnut, he is wholly of a rich deep grey-

blue, and the said tail is fanned out and jerked in a pretty wa} r ,

not rapidly like an English Redstart’s, but veiy knowingly.


When out of his cage, he will get under a table, and in

obscure corners, and there he will sing [sotto voce] a sweet

warble. I suppose one may speak of singing a warble, as much

as of singing a song ! A little rascal as to returning to his cage,

dodging in to pick up the tempting mealworm, and out again in

a flash !



