294 



2 ad. corpore supra et subtus brunnescenti-fuliginoso : remigibus nigricantibus, extus brunnescente albido 

 marginatis et eodem colore vix apicatis : tectricibus alarum nigricantibus, pallide brunneo marginatis : 

 cauda ut in mare, sed sordidiore, supracaudalibus sordide ferrugineis : abdomine pallidiorc : subcauda- 

 libus flavicauti-feiTugineis : rostro et pedibus nigris : iride fusca. 



Adult Male (Southern France, May). Crown, except a narrow black frontal line, nape, back, and scapulars 

 dark slate-grey, deepening into black on the centre of the back, and becoming paler towards the rump ; 

 quills blackish, primaries narrowly and secondaries broadly edged with white on the outer web, this 

 border being broader towards the base of the feather; wing-coverts black, edged with grey; upper 

 tail-coverts and tail, excepting the central rectrices, which are dark reddish brown, fox-red, most of the 

 tail-feathers being tipped with brown ; a narrow frontal line, lores, sides of the head and neck, throat, 

 and entire breast jet-black ; lower part of the breast and flanks pale slate-grey ; centre of the abdomen 

 almost white ; under tail-coverts pale yellowish rust-coloured ; bill and legs black ; iris brown. Total 

 length about 5-7 inches, culmen 0'6, wing 3-55, tail 2"8, tarsus 0-95. 



Adult Female (Plymouth.) Upper parts brownish grey, with a sooty tinge ; underparts dull pale sooty 

 brown, becoming whitish on the centre of the abdomen; quills and wing-coverts blackish brown on 

 the outer web, bordered with brownish white and narrowly tipped with the same colour ; upper tail- 

 coverts dull fox-red ; under tail-coverts and tail as in the male. 



Young, fresh fiedged (Altenkirchen). Resembles the female, but is much paler, browner, and duller in 

 colour. 



Nestling, 6 (Altenkirchen, 21st May). Upper parts dull sooty blackish grey, indistinctly marked with pale 

 brown ; rump and upper tail-coverts orange-red, narrowly barred with dark brown ; the very short 

 stumpy tail dark reddish brown, marked with dark brown ; wings blackish, the feathers margined with 

 dull reddish brown ; throat, breast, and flanks sooty grey, indistinctly marked with yellowish brown ; 

 lower part of the abdomen dull yellowish, narrowly marked with greyish brown ; bill yellowish brown, 

 gape yellow ; legs light brown. 



Ob.w A breeding female from Altenkirchen is rather duller in colour, and has the plumage more worn than 

 the female from Plymouth above described ; and a young female from the same locality is very much 

 browner in general tone of coloration. The young male resembles the adult female, but is altogether 

 grey in tinge, and has the tail of a much brighter hue. Mr. Gatcombe writes that the adult male in 

 winter docs not lose the black breast and white patch on the wing at any season after having once 

 attained them ; and the only difference between the winter and the summer dress is that in the former 

 the black feathers are tipped more or less with grey, which wears off in the spring; and he further 

 states that he has seen old males throughout the winter with nearly pure black breasts and otherwise 

 in magnificent plumage. 



The Black Redstart inhabits Central and Southern Europe, being oidy rare in the northern 

 portions of the continent, and ranging eastward into Persia, and southward into Northern 

 Africa. 



In Great Britain the present species occurs most frequently during the autumn and winter 

 season. According to Professor Newton (Yarrell's Brit. B. part v. p. 333) it " was first made 

 known as an occasional visitor by Mr. Gould, who recorded (Zool. Journ. v. p. 103) the capture 

 of a specimen by Mr. Bond at Kilburn, near London, October 25th, 1829 ; and another example 



