MOTACILLA RUBICOLA. 



REDBREAST. 



Generic Character. See Motacilla lufcinia. 

 Synonyms. 



Motacilla Rub icq la. Lin. Syjl. i. p. 337. 45. 

 Redbreast. Br. Zoo/. 147. Ib. fol. 100. tab. S. fig. 2. 



Lath. Syn. 4. p. 442. 38. Mont. Orn. 



Lift. Bewick's Br. Birds , Pt. 1. p. 2 16. 



- — gas^lllp^ aaffl 



^JL^H I S fpecies is in length five inches and a half, and 

 in breadth eight inches and a half, and it weighs about ten 

 drams ; the Redbreaft is too common to require further de- 

 fcription. Both fexes are alike in colour. 



The Redbreast builds early in April, and forms its neft 

 u Iu ally in the hollow of an old tree, generally near the ground, 

 it will fometimes build in an out-houfe or in a moffy bank ; It 

 is compofed of mofs, fmall dry {talks and leaves, and lined 

 with hair ; they lay from fix to eight eggs, of an opaque 

 whitifh colour fpotted with light and dark red, the largefl 

 fpots are of the deepefl colour ; the young for the firft 

 two or three months are fpotted, and may readily pafs for 

 fome other Tpecies ; they do not attain their full plumage till 

 after the firft moult. 



At the approach of winter thefe birds forfake the woods, 

 as they no longer contain a fupply of infects, they then repair 

 to our habitations, picking up fuch infe£ts as the garden affords ; 

 as the weather becomes more fevere, they, by their actions, 



feem 



