ISABELLINE WHEATEAR. 229 



is more general. The young birds group themselves at the 

 mouth of the hole when waiting for food, but scuttle back on 

 absurdly long legs if danger threatens. Return migration, 

 both of our birds and the larger form, lasts for many weeks, 

 beginning in August. The Greenland birds are noticed as a 

 rule in October, and most of both forms depart during that 

 month. On the Lancashire coast and in North Wales both 

 Common and Greenland Wheatears have been seen late in 

 November. Indeed there is some evidence that a few may 

 remain to winter ; Hudson saw some in December in Cornwall. 

 The male in spring is pearl-grey above, with a white fore- 

 head, superciliary stiipe, rump, upper tail-coverts and basal 

 part of the tail. The white on the central tail feathers is 

 hidden, only the black portion showing ; the other feathers 

 are mainly white with a broad terminal band of black. The 

 lores, cheeks and ear-coverts are black. The under parts are 

 sandy buff on the breast and flanks, and creamy white or 

 slightly tinged elsewhere. The bill and legs are black, the 

 irides dark brown. After the autumn moult broad fringes tinge 

 the upper parts with brown and the under with fawn ; in this 

 dress the male is very like the female ; she is sandy brown 

 above and more buff below, but has the distinctive tail and 

 rump. The young at first are mottled with dusky streaks and 

 sandy-buff bars, and the pale chocolate head is faintly streaked, 

 whilst the quills have broad rufous edgings. The bill is brown. 

 Common Wheatear: Length, 575 ins. Wing, 375 ins. Tarsus, 

 I in. Greenland Wheatear: Length, 6"5 ins. Wing, 4*2 ins. 

 Tarsus, ri ins. 



Isabeiline Wheatear. (Enanthe isabelUna Cretz. 



The IsabelHne Wheatear is a southern Russian and central 

 Asiatic bird, wintering in Africa and India. In November, 

 1887, a bird of this species was shot in Cumberland, and it was 



