SYLVIIN.^^;. 



41 



THE \\' H I T E T H R O A T. 



SvLviA ciXEREA, Bechstcin. 



The Whitethroat arrives about the second week in April, 

 remaining until the beginning of September. Throughout England, 

 Wales and Ireland, it is the most generally distributed and plentiful 

 of the Warblers ; while in Scotland it is also common, and has 

 extended its breeding range to the Dornoch Firth and West Ross. 

 In the Outer Hebrides it is now known to nest near Stornaway, 

 and its autumnal occurrence in the Orkneys has recently been 

 authenticated, but its appearance in the Shetlands is exceptional. 



The Whitethroat breeds up to about 65° N., in Scandinavia, and 

 southwards throughout Europe down to the Mediterranean. In 

 Asia Minor it is only found in summer, although said to be resident 

 in Palestine. It frequents the Canaries and Northern Africa in 

 winter, and its migrations extend down the west coast to Damara- 

 land. Eastward, it breeds in Turkestan and South-western Siberia, 

 wintering in Egypt, Abyssinia, and Arabia ; its place being taken in 

 the Altai and Tian-Shan Mountains, and North-western India, by 

 a larger, darker, and greyer form, distinguished as .S". fuscipilea. To 

 the north of the Caspian, the arid steppes beyond the Ural 

 Mountains appear to form the eastern boundary of our Whitethroat. 



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