67 



LESSER WHITETHROAT. 

 Sylvia curruca (Z.). 



Summer visitant, generally but thinly distributed ; not so abundant 

 as the preceding species. 



The first mention of this as a Yorkshire bird is, apparently, 

 in Loudon's Magazine for July 1832, where it is chronicled 

 as occurring in Wensleydale in 1831. 



Thomas Allis, in 1844, wrote : — 



Curruca garriila. — Lesser Whitethroat. Met with near Doncaster, 

 Huddersfield, Hebden Bridge, and Halifax, and is common near Sheffield 

 and York ; is seldom seen near Bridlington, and then only in spring 

 and autumn ; it is not known to breed there.* 



The general time for the appearance of the Lesser White- 

 throat is about the end of April or early in May ; at Barnsley 

 the average date, calculated over a period of twenty years 

 between 1854 and 1874, was the 28th April ; and for ten 

 years afterwards it was the 4th May. The earliest recorded 

 arrival was at Halifax, where one was noted on the 17th April, 

 and in 1883, at Barnsley, it was seen on the i8th of that 

 month. 



It usually leaves in September, occasionally lingering 

 until late in the succeeding month : the latest occurrence 

 noted at Spurn is 17th October 1896. 



It is more locally and thinly distributed than its congener, 

 though it may be met with in most localities suitable to its 

 requirements ; it has not been noticed in the Sheffield district, 

 though it breeds regularly near Halifax ; and in the Wilsden 

 neighbourhood there are only two instances of its occurrence ; 

 it is not uncommon near Ackworth ; at Spofforth and 

 Wetherby it is fairly numerous ; and at Beverley it is 

 moderately, and in some seasons plentifully, distributed ; 

 while near York it is more abundant than 5. cinerea. Though 

 not a common species in the central and north-western dales, 

 yet it may be overlooked owing to its skulking habits ; it 



* Allis was misinformed as regards its presence near Bridlington. 



