The following description of this bird I take the liberty of copying from Dr. Bree’s valuable ‘ History of
the Birds of Europe not observed in the British Isles: ’—
“ Occiput, cheeks, and part of the throat ferruginous, with two distinct deep-black irregular bands
extending from the base of the upper mandible over each eye, where they turn round, and in some
specimens form a more or less complete collar round the neck, mingled with white or fawn-colour ; throat
more or less white, mingled with the ferruginous colour of the occiput and cheeks; base of the inner web
of the external tail-feather white, that of the second the same, but only half as wide. First and third
primaries of nearly equal length, the second the longest in the wing. Length of male five inches and three
tenths; carpus to tip three inches; tail two inches and a half; beak two-fifths of an inch ; tarsus seven
tenths of an inch.”
Mr. Jerdon says, “ the female is dull olive-greenish, with a rufous tinge; wing-coverts tipped whitish ;
beneath whitish yellow', sullied on the breast, and streaked on the flanks and sides of the foreneck,”— and
describes the bill of the male as “ homy; legs pale fleshy-brown; irides brown.”
Dr. Bree’s figure of the egg of this species, which he says was copied from Middendorff, is three
quarters of an inch in length by five eighths of an inch in breadth, and of a pale greyish white, numerously
spotted with two shades of yellowish olive, the smaller spots being the lightest in colour.
The opposite Plate represents the bird of the natural size; the specimen from which the figure was taken
is now in the possession of T. J . Monk, Esq., of Mountfield House, Lewes.