實桃にいそひよどり (盛夏) [sic]
mi momo ni isohiyodori (seika)
Peach Fruit and (African) Blue-flycatcher (Mid Summer)
実の桃にソライロヒタキ (盛夏)
Edition I: | 楽山居 | Raku-zan Kyo | + Seal A |
[For illustration of seals listed by seal code letter, see the Seals article. For edition characteristics applicable to this series as a whole, see the Edition article.]
Design History:The identification of the bird shown in 73 is problematic. It appears to be an amalgamation of two closely related species of African blue-flycatchers. Rakusan would have seen these exotic birds only as cage or aviary specimens. He appears to have taken some artistic license in depicting the bird.
The deeper blue and mostly unmarked tail suggest Elminia longicauda, and the prominent white neck suggests Elminia albicauda. Both species have been assigned names in modern Japanese based on close translations of the English or scientific names:
African Blue-flycatcher, Elminia longicauda, ソライロヒタキ, sora-iro hitaki, 'sky-color flycatcher'; or ミヅイロオナガヒタキ, mizu-iro o-naga hitaki, 'aqua (colored) long-tailed flycatcher'
White-tailed Blue-flycatcher, Elminia albicauda: オジロソライロヒタキ, o-jiro sora-iro hitaki, ' white-tailed sky-blue flycatcher'; or オジロオナガヒタキ, o-jiro o-naga-hitaki, 'white-tailed long-tail-flycatcher'.
Oddly, Rakusan incorrectly identified this bird in the title-caption as いそひよどり, (イソヒヨドリ, 磯鵯) iso-hiyodori, '(rocky-)beach-bulbul', which has long been the common name for Blue Rockthrush, Monticola solitarius. However, later in the series Rakusan illustrates and correctly names Blue Rock Thrush in design number 97.