1917-] l)ii ds observml at Erzerum. 17 



the Public Gardens. April 16, oue ? at tlie poplars. 

 April 29, one fine cJ at the poplars. May 5, one ? atllije.'' 



None were observed in summer, but in the latter half of 

 August I saw several males and females, all presumably on 

 passage. 



In 1911, the Bluethroat came under my notice only three 

 times : between April 12 and May 1, when single individuals 

 Mere observed. 



Saxicola rubicola. Stonechat. 



One cock-bird was observed on the 12th and 13th of April, 

 1910, after a strong S.W. gale, and in the following year I 

 observed another specimen on the 26th of April. 



Saxicola nibetra. Wliinchat. 



A rarely observed migiant, noticed once early in May. and 

 on a few occasions between August 1 and October 1. 



(Enanthe oenanthe. Wheatcar. 



The stony arid slopes which surround Erzerum seem to 

 be an ideal habitat for the Wheatear, and it is one of the 

 commonest birds during the brief summer, nesting abun- 

 dantly in the rocky gorges. 



The earliest date on Avhich a Wheatear was observed was 

 March 22, 1910, and isolated hen-birds were seen occasionally 

 up to April 2, when the first male appeared. The numbers 

 gradually increased until, on April 19, they could be de- 

 scribed as ''numerous^' on the grassy slopes of the fortifi- 

 cations and on the rising ground south of the town. Both 

 eggs and young were to be found in the first week in June. 

 The autumn migration began about August 26, when large 

 flights of male birds were seen. The movement then con- 

 tinued steadily until the end of August, my camp and the 

 rough ground outside it being alive with Wheatears every 

 day at sundown. From the first days of September they 

 became much scarcer, but were constantly observed in twos 

 and threes until long after the snow had begun to creep 

 down from the mountain-tops and the frost was hard at 

 nights. Most of them had disappeared by the 20th of 



SEP.. X. VOL. V. g 



