104 THE ROCK-THRUSH. 



our very rarest visitors. It seldom comes further 

 north than the Vosges mountains, in Eastern 

 France, and some of the high ranges of Central 

 Germany, but it is found in the mountains of 

 Southern Europe, whence it ranges eastward 

 through Central Asia to Northern China. It 

 winters in Northern Africa, and even visits the 

 eastern portion of that continent in winter, as it 

 has occurred in several recent collections made in 

 Eastern Africa. Colonel Irby has noticed numbers 

 of Rock-Thrushes passing Gibraltar>on migration 

 on the 4th of April, and has seen the bird on the 

 return journey in September. 



In its ways, the Rock-Thrush much resembles 

 the Redstarts, and Mr. Seebohm says that, "like 

 those birds, it will ever and anon rise into the 

 air, and descend, with his wings expanded, upon 

 its perch again, singing all the time." This 

 manoeuvre is often repeated several times. It is 

 a very shy bird, and will keep flitting before the 

 observer, like a Wheatear, keeping a good look 

 out, and never permitting a too near approach. 

 Its food consists mainly of insects, some of which 

 it captures in mid air, like a Flycatcher, though it 

 will, like other insectivorous birds, vary its diet in 



