210 MERULID A. 
wing-feathers a shade darker, but with lighter-coloured ex- 
ternal edges: from the beak to the eye, and the ear-coverts, 
clove brown; over the eye a streak of pale wood-brown ; 
the irides hazel: the chin, throat, belly, vent-feathers, and 
under tail-coverts, dull white; sides of the neck, upper 
part of the breast, and the flanks, dull white, tinged with 
wood-brown, and streaked longitudinally with clove-brown ; 
under surface of the great wing and tail-feathers ash-grey ; 
sides of the body, under wing-coverts, and axillary feathers, 
bright reddish orange, from which peculiarity the bird has 
derived its name: legs pale brown; toes and curved claws 
darker brown. 
The whole length of the Redwing is about eight inches 
and three-quarters. The wing from the carpal joint to the 
end of the longest primary measures four inches and three- 
eighths: the first feather very short ; the second equal in 
length to the fifth; the third and fourth also equal in 
length, and the longest in the wing. 
The plumage of the female Redwing is less bright than 
that of the male. 
White and cream-coloured varieties of this bird have 
been obtained. 
The outline vignette below represents the form of the 
breastbone of the Great Grey Shrike and the Spotted 
Flycatcher. 
