230 THE BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



not until the spring of 1 911 and 191 2 that others were recorded ; 

 these were obtained in Sussex. The bird is so hke a female 

 Common Wheatear that it could easily be overlooked, but it is 

 rather larger and more tawny, and has more black on its tail ; 

 the axillaries and under wing-covers are white, whereas in our 

 bird they are motiled with grey. Length, 6*5 ins. Wing, 3"9 ins. 

 Tarsus, i'2 ins. 



Black-eared Wheatear. CEnanthe stapazina (Linn.). 



Two forms of the Black-eared Wheatear, differing but little, 

 are found in western and eastern Mediterranean countries, the 

 latter, the Eastern, (E. s. a77iphileuca Hemp, and Ehren., passing 

 through Egypt to its winter quarters in the Sudan. The 

 Western bird has been recorded at least three times from 

 Sussex in spring, and the Eastern once, in September. 



The male in summer is a black and white bird ; the head, 

 neck, back, rump and most of the tail, and under parts white, 

 tinged with sandy brown on the back, and with deeper brown 

 on the breast. The black streak from the bill to beyond the 

 ear-coverts explains the name ; the wings, bill and legs are 

 also black. After the autumn moult the plumage is more 

 rufous, " washed with rufescent isabelline." The female has 

 the black much browner, and the head and back tinged 

 with brown. Length, 5-6 ins. Wing, 3-5 ins. Tarsus, i in. 



Black-throated Wheatear. CEnanthe occidentalis Salv, 



This Wheatear breeds in Spain and south-western Europe 

 and north-western Africa, and winters in west Africa. It was 

 first recorded as British from an example taken in May, 1875, in 

 Lancashire. More recently it has been met with in spring 

 in Kent, and in autumn in Yorkshire, and, strangely enough, 

 so far north as Fair Island and St. Kilda. Southern birds 



