286 
allen’s naturalist’s library. 
Adult Female. — Different from the male, being ashy-brown 
above instead of slaty-grey ; the orange-chestnut colour of the 
rump and tail paler ; lores dull white ; ear-coverts earthy- 
brown ; cheeks ashy-brown ; throat dull white, as also the 
abdomen and under tail-coverts ; the fore-neck, breast, and 
sides of body sandy-brown ; under wing-coverts and axillaries 
yellowish-buff ; quills dusky brown below, ochreous along the 
inner web. Total length, 5^3 inches; wing, 3'i. 
Young. — Mottled like a young Robin, and having the upper 
surface varied with ochreous-buff spots and black edges to the 
feathers; the under surface yellowish-buff, barred with dusky 
edges to the feathers ; the upper tail-coverts and tail orange- 
rufous, as in the adults. 
Winter Plumage. — The whole of the upper surface grey, 
as well as the throat, the black and white facial markings 
being concealed by pale margins which wear off and leave the 
summer plumage visible. 
Range in Great Britain. — A summer visitor to all the British 
Islands, though it is only quite recently that it has been known 
to breed in Ireland, where it was before considered to be a rare 
bird. Its breeding-range extends throughout England and 
Scotland, but the bird is rarer in the south-westei n counties, and, 
like the Nightingale, its range seems to he almost bounded by 
the River Exe, though the Redstart has been found breeding in 
Cornwall on rare occasions. It has also been known to breed 
of recent years in Sutherlandshire and Caithness, but is un- 
recorded from the Hebrides, and is only a rare visitor to the 
Orkneys and Shetland Isles. 
Range outside the British Islands. — Breeds throughout Central 
and Southern Europe as far as the Arctic Circle, and east to 
the Yenesei. In the south of Europe it is principally known 
as a migrant, and breeds only on the mountains. In Greece, 
Asia Minor, and the Caucasus the Redstart is represented by 
an allied species, Ruticilla mesoleuca, which has white on the 
wing like the Black Redstart. Our species winters in Persia 
and Palestine, and it extends in Africa to Abyssinia and the 
eastern districts, as well as to Senegambia on the west coast. 
Hahits. — On their first arrival the males precede the females 
