301 



EUTICILLA MOUSSIERI. 



(MOUSSIER'S REDSTART.) 



Erithacus moussieri, L., Olph-Gall. Ann. Soc. d'Agr. & Hist. Nat. de Lyon, iv. pi. 11 (1852); 



id. Naumannia, 1852, pt. iii. p. 68, & pi. 3. 

 Pratincola moussieri (Olph-Gall.), Bald. Journ. f. Orn. 1853, extra heft, p. 7. 

 Ruticilla moussieri (Olph-Gall.), Bp. Compt. Rend, xxxviii. p. 8 (1854). 



Zinzukh, Arabic. 



Figures notabiles. 



Olph-Galliard, I. c. ; Tristram, Ibis, 1860, pi. xi. 



<J ad. capite supra et lateraliter, collo et dorso nigris, fronte et linea supra oculos ad nuchain et plaga lateral! 

 utrinque ad dorsum niveis : remigibus brannescenti-nigris, secundariis ad basin in pogonio externo albis 

 speculum forniantibus : cauda rufeseenti-aurantiaca, rectricibus centralibus rufescenti-brunneis, subtus 

 rufescenti-aurantiacis, versus crissum pallidiore : abdomine centrali albicanti-cervino : rostro et pedibus 

 nigris : iride brunnea. 



2 ad. mari dissimilis, supra grisescenti-brunnea, subtus sordide grisescenti-ferruginea : remigibus saturate 



brunneis vix grisescente brunneo marginatis : cauda, ut in mari, sed saturatiore : uropygio ferrugineo 

 lavato : supracaudalibus rufesceuti-aurantiacis. 



3 ptil. Mem. ut in ptilosi sestivali, sed dorsi et capitis plumis fulvido marginatis. 



Adult Male in summer (Algeria) . Crown, sides of the head and neck, back and wings black ; a line across 

 the forehead passing above the eye and joining a large patch on each side of the fore part of the back, 

 and a large alar patch covering the basal half of the outer web of the secondaries pare white ; quills 

 not so black as the back, but washed with brown; rump and upper tail-coverts orange-red; central 

 tail-feathers dull brown, margined and tipped with orange-red ; remaining rectrices orange-red ; entire 

 underparts rich orange-red, paler towards the vent, and pale buffy white on the centre of the abdomen ; 

 bill and legs black ; iris brown. Total length 4 - 75 inches, culmen 052, wing 2 - 6, tail 2 - 0, tarsus 1*0. 



Adult Female (Zaghouan, Algeria). Upper parts dull greyish brown; underparts didl greyish, washed with 

 dull orange ; quills dark brown, broadly margined with pale greyish brown ; tail as in the male, but 

 duller in colour ; rump washed with dull orange ; upper tail-coverts orange-red. In general appearance 

 it closely resembles the female of R. phoenicurus, but is smaller, has less red on the rump, and more on 

 the underparts. Total length 4 - 5 inches, culmen - 52, wing 2'45, tail 19, tarsus - 95. 



Winter plumage. In the winter plumage the male bird has the black on the upper parts somewhat obscure, 

 the feathers having brown tips ; otherwise the winter plumage agrees with that worn in the summer. 



This, one of the most beautiful of the Eedstarts, is found only in North-western Africa, where, 

 however, it is not uncommon in suitable localities. First described by M. L. Olph-Galliard in 

 1852, it was discovered, Canon Tristram states, in 1847 by Mr. Eraser, though not described by 



