THE ROCK-THRUSHES. 
283 
The Rock-Thrush is the sole representative of the genus 
Monticola, the Blue Rock-Thrushes having a much longer tail, 
more than half the length of the wing, and being distinguished 
as a separate genus, Petrophila. A species from Southern 
Europe, P. cyanea, was at one time stated to have occurred 
in Ireland, but the record was wholly false. 
THE-ROCK THRUSH. MONTICOLA SAXATILIS. 
Turdus saxatilis, Linn., Syst. Nat., i., p. 294 (1766). 
Monticola saxatilis, Dresser, B. Eur., ii., p. 129, pis. 16, 17 
(1872); Newt. ed. Yarr., i., p. 292 (1872); Seeb., Cat. B. 
Brit. Mus.,v., p. 313 (1881); id. Br. B., i, p. 281 (1883); 
B. O. U. List Br. B., p. 5 (1883); Lilford, Col. Fig. Br. 
B., pt. i. (1885); Saunders, Man., p. 17 (1889). 
Adult Male. — General colour blackish with a slaty gloss ; 
centre of back white with slaty margins to the feathers ; rump 
slaty-blackish; upper tail-coverts orange-chestnut ; wing-coverts 
slatv-blackish, like the scapulars, with obsolete white tips to 
the ' coverts ; primary-coverts and quills dusky brown, the 
secondaries with narrow white tips, the innermost pale brown 
at the ends; tail-feathers orange-chestnut, except the two 
centre ones, which are ashy-brown ; crown of head and neck 
all round, as well as the entire throat, greyish-blue ; remainder 
of under surface from the lower throat downwards, bright 
orange-chestnut, with a few greyish edgings to the feathers of 
the lower breast; under wing-coverts and axillaries like the 
breast ; quills dusky, ashy along the inner web ; bill, feet, and 
claws black ; iris hazel. Total length, 7 inches ; culrnen, o‘8 ; 
wing, 4-65 ; tail, 2'2 ; tarsus, ro. 
Adult Female.— Different from the male. Ashy-brown above, 
mottled with whity-brown edges to the feathers, before which 
is a subterminal blackish bar ; the rump barred with pale 
ochreous edges to the feathers ; upper tail-coverts and tail 
bright cinnamon ; the two centre tail-feathers ashy-brown, and 
the others with a small brown mark near the end of the outer 
web ; crown of head like the back, the forehead more hoary ; 
lores dull white ; ear-coverts dull white, streaked with dusky 
