THRUSH. 31 



Greater Redstart, Alb. iii. pi. 55. Will. Engl. 197. pi. 36. 



Rock-Crow, Arct. Zool. ii. 252. F. 



Rock-Shrike, Gen. Syn. i. 176. 



Rock-Thrush, Gen. Syn. iii. 54. Shaw's Zool. x. 265. 



SIZE rather less than a Blackbird ; length seven inches and 

 three quarters. Bill blackish ; head and neck dark ash-colour, 

 marked with small rufous spots ; the upper part of the back dark 

 brown; the lower much paler, inclining to cinereous, especially 

 towards the tail ; wing coverts and quills dusky, with pale margins ; 

 breast, and under parts of the body orange, marked with small 

 spots, some of which are white, and others brown ; tail three inches 

 long, the two middle feathers brown, the others rufous; legs blackish; 

 winsrs and tail even. This is the female. 



In the male the colours are said to be more bright. 



This is met with in many parts of Europe, from Italy on the one 

 hand, to Russia on the other; is found also in various parts of 

 Germany, the Alpine Mountains, those of Tyrol, and such like 

 places. 



The description in Syn. iii. p. 54, varies somewhat : the upper 

 part of the plumage deep brown, most of the feathers edged with 

 cinereous white ; rump ferruginous, edged with the same ; the chin 

 white; throat as the upper parts, but much paler; fore part of the 

 neck, and all the under parts, dirty orange-colour, waved with brown 

 and white; the two middle tail feathers brown, edged with dirty 

 orange ; the others wholly of this last colour. 



This last description was taken from a well-done drawing in the 

 possession of the late Mr. Pennant, from a specimen sent from 

 Gibraltar; adding, that it prefers rocky and mountainous situations, 

 being found in such places about the Altaic Chain, and beyond the 

 Lake Baikal, frequent. As these birds vary in plumage at different 

 periods of life, it will account for the two sexes, as well as the young 

 bird, being formerly described as distinct Species. 



