NON-INDIGENOUS BRITISH BIRDS. 83 



Family TURDID.E. Genus Saxicola. 



Sub-family TURDINAi. 



BLACK-THROATED WHEATEAR. 



Saxicola stapazina, Vieillot. 



(British : Very rare abnormal spring migrant.) 



Single Brooded probably. Laying season, April and May. 



Breeding area : South-western Palaearctic region. 

 The Black-throated Chat (of which there are two fairly 

 well-defined eastern and western races) breeds in Southern 

 France, the Spanish Peninsula, Algeria, Morocco, Tunis, 

 Italy, Greece, Southern Russia, Asia Minor, Palestine, 

 and Southern Persia. I have not examined the specimen 

 v/hich was obtained in the British Islands, and am not 

 prepared to say to which race it belongs. The two races 

 appear to coalesce in Italy. 



Breeding habits : The Black-throated Wheatear 

 reaches its breeding grounds in Southern Europe from 

 the middle to the end of March. Its favourite breeding 

 grounds are the rough uncultivated sides of mountains, 

 sterile plains, and grass and rock-covered slopes above 

 the vineyards and the olive groves, and below the growth 

 of pines. This species pairs annually, soon after arriving 

 at its summer quarters, and nest-building commences 

 almost at once. The nest is invariably placed in a well- 

 sheltered spot, either in a crevice of the rocks beneath 

 the shelter of a large stone, or in a hole of a ruin. It is 

 a cup-shaped structure, loosely and somewhat carelessly 

 made externally of dry grass, moss, and roots, and 

 rather more neatly lined with finer roots and sometimes 

 hair. The bird is a close sitter, shy and wary when 

 disturbed, and contributes little in its behaviour to the 

 discovery of the nest. Many nests may be found within 



