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in his usual graphic way: — "Of the Rock-Thrushes Petrocincla samtilis, whose red tail and 

 Redstart-like habits link it most closely with the Buticillince, is in most parts of Palestine merely 

 a passing traveller, and tarries but a night. On the 8th of April the whole of Mount Gerizim 

 was covered by a restless flock of these birds, which, at a distance, we took for the Black Redstart, 

 so exactly did they resemble that bird in their actions. They hopped restlessly from rock to rock, 

 never taking a flight of more than a few yards ; and in this fashion in loose order, ranging for 

 perhaps a mile in breadth, they appeared to be steadily proceeding northwards. When the 

 foremost line had reached the valley, they took a flight across to the foot of Mount Ebal, over 

 the gardens, and then more leisurely mounted the hill. We shot about a dozen, but, being at 

 the time without the assistance of Mr. Bartlett's nimble fingers, I only saved a pair. Afterwards 

 we occasionally met with this bird in the Upper Lebanon, in the month of June, where, no doubt, 

 it was breeding." 



Mr. E. Cavendish Taylor, in his paper on the birds of Egypt, remarks : — " I suspect that this 

 species is a spring visitant ; for I did not meet with it till about the middle of March, when I 

 saw a fine male in the Temple of Karnak. I afterwards found it common at Damietta in the 

 month of April." The late Mr. S. Stafford Allen, who resided for some time in the country, 

 gives the following note : — " The Rock-Thrush comes northward in the end of April, and evinces 

 a very strong partiality for Arab burying-grounds, where one or two are always to be found at that 

 season of the year." According to Von Heuglin " it is not rare in autumn and spring in Egypt, 

 Nubia, and Arabia, some probably wintering there, and the rest proceeding further south. We 

 found it in November in the country of the Gazelle River (7° and 8° N. lat.), in December and 

 January at Aden, and on the higher mountains of Abyssinia." Dr. A. E. Brehm says it does not 

 winter in Egypt, but passes through Nubia, not even remaining in East Sudan. Mr. Jesse 

 procured it, during the Abyssinian Expedition, at Koomaylee and Senafe ; and Mr. Blanford's 

 notes from the same country are as follows : — " Rare on the highlands. I am indebted to 

 Captain Newport for a specimen shot at Adigrat. I myself did not see any." Captain Sturt 

 has lent us a specimen procured by himself during the same expedition. It has been found on 

 the west coast of Casamanee and Bissao, but at present it is not known to winter south of the 

 Gambian district. 



Bailly's excellent work the ' Ornithology of Savoy ' contains a good account of the habits 

 of the Rock-Thrush : — " When at rest they may be found generally in the morning on isolated 

 rocks or stones, sometimes on the top of a tree, whence they litter their song, which 

 resembles that of the Blue Thrush in its flexibility, and in its sweetness and variations that of 

 the Orphean Warbler and Blackcap. From time to time it rises in the air and descends with 

 extended wings, singing, on to its perch again. They sometimes perform this evolution several 

 times without resting, and when close to their perching-place rise again, and descend, until 

 satisfied. Sometimes they thus traverse a considerable distance along the rocks ; but they never 

 perform these evolutions with such grace and zest as when they again see the females : they 

 mount ten or twelve metres into the air, and drop almost vertically, singing with all their might, 

 and developing all the harmony of which their voice is capable, until they reach the rocks 

 ■whence their companions are watching the attractive performance." Von Homey er also notices 

 the similarity in this bird's song to that of the Blue Rock-Thrush; and Professor von Nordmann 



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