J.öcuhL érBCAdita: d d eOluh.
P E TIRO C IN C IA SAXATILIS
PETROCINCLA SAXATILIS.
Rock-Thrush.
Lamm in/austus. Grael. edit. Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. i p. 310.
Turdus saxatiUs, Gmel. edit. Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. i. p. 833.
Saxicola mmtena, Koch, Baier. Zool., tom. i. p. 185.
Monticola saxatilis, Boie, Isis, 1822, p. 652.
Petrocincla saxatilis, Väg. Zool. Journ., vol. iL p. 396.
Petrocossyphus saxatilis, Boie, Isis, 1826, p. 972.
----------------- Goureyi, Brehm, Vög. Deutschi., p. 370.
— polyglottus, Brehm, Vög. Deutschi., p. 370.
Petrocichla saxatilis, Keys, und Blas. Wirbelth. Eur., p. 50.
Sylvia saxatilis, Savi, Orn. Tose., tom; i. p. 219.
A m e r e glance at the accompanying Plate will be sufficient to show that the bird ..it represents does not
strictly pertain to our avifauna; yet it is included in all the recent lists o f our native birds.* That it has a claim
to a place therein, rests upon the capture o f the one or two specimens recorded in the Supplement to Yarrell’s
‘ History of British Birds,’ all the other accounts of its being shot not bearing the test o f investigation, how-
Tlus may appear a very sweeping remark; but, in my
ever positive the assertions made respecting t
opinion, it is mainly true; and the follow
mt, extracted from Mr. Yarrell’s work above referred to, gives,
I believe, the only instances of the occt
!' the bird in our islauds to be depeudcd upon,
“ A beautiful specimen of the Rock-
was obtained, on the 19th of May, 1843, by Mr. Joseph
Trigg, who shot it at Tberfield, near Roystun, in Hertfordshire,Hertford si
while it was sitting on au ash-tree, on
the evening o f the day mentioned. I * *w the s p |teciue c im »e en n before
it was skinned for preservation by Mr. John
Norman, of Koyston, and received the first notice of the « T « .-r
m'nee from my friend Thomas Wrotbain, Esq.,
whose influence with Mr. Trigg obtained me the ban» '«* the hi
my best thanks to all the parties for the opportunity than ajfoi
example of the Rock-Thrush that has been known to occur in
another specimen having been shot by a gamekeeper, who, imaw
only the head and neck, which being shown to a gentleman <
its peculiar colouring, was identified without difficulty.’’ The &
from the possession of Mr. Trigg into that of J. H. Gurney, E#
I f the Rock-Thrush has but slender claims to a place in o
to find ourselves in a country o f which it is strictly a nativi
those of a rocky or alpine character, it is very plentiful. It
the Alps, the Apennines, aud the numerous spurs jutting out from those great ranges; it is also a common
denizen of many parts of Spain, Italy, and the Tyrol; but in all parts of Europe it is strictly a migrant, coming
and going with the seasons, like our own Ring-Ousel. It winters in the Atlas and other inountain-ranges of
Northern Africa, and is to be found in every district o f that country o f a similar character. Many of. the skins
o f the bird on sale in Paris are made in Tangiers, and others in Algiers, Tunis, and Egypt. The specimens
ed me of figuring ujg describing the first
bis country. I have very recently heard of
r e e f die interest attached to the bird, saved
i-sHUt with ornithology, the species, from
: specimen above mentioned has since passed
• avifauna, we need only cross the Channel
; for in certain parts of France, particularly
, in fact, a bird of the bills, a tenant of
body, and, moreover, have shorter bills, than those fn
rded as local variations, for in colouring and markin; the! : Mo
from Tangiers are shorter in
rences, however, can only he
birds are very similar.
Mr. Wright, who baa give» us a List
there about the middle of- jforrii» gen
September, on its voyage southward.
The Rev. H. B. Tristram, in his rema
whose red tail and Redstart-like habits
tine, merely a passing traveller, and tun
was covered by a restless flock of these
did they resemble that bird in their actii
o f more than a few yard s; and in this fi
appeared to be steadily proceeding nortl
a flight across to the foot of Mount F.ba
wards we . occasionally met with this bin:
was breeding.”
il by him in Malta and
nay be seen till May, and that it rea
lithology of Palestine,” says:
sely with the Ruticillhue, is,
On the 8th o f April the a
a distance, we took for Bln*
i.irder, ranging for perhaps ;
the foremost line had reach*
Toctncto so*
t parts of