13 



STONECHAT. 



Pratincola rubicola (Limiffius). 



Local Names — Stone-cltcck, Chapper, FUck-tail. 



A resident species, very local, and much less common 

 in winter than summer ; the greater part migrating 

 southward about the middle of September or beginning 

 of October, but returning early in the spring. It breeds 

 more plentifully on the sea-shore than elsewhere, and 

 its nest has been taken on the sand-hills at Southport 

 by Mr. T. Jones, at Lytham by Mr. -J. J. Hornby, and 

 at Fleetwood by Mr. H. Miller, whilst all round the 

 shores of Morecambe Bay, and especially on Walney, it is 

 fairly numerous. Byerley (" Fauna of Liverpool," 1856) 

 says that it is not uncommon on moorish land, some 

 few remaining over the winter, and Mr. J. F. Brock- 

 holes {Proc. Liverpool Lit. and Phil. Sac, 1859-61) 

 writing of birds which then nested within a circuit of 

 ten miles from the Liverpool Exchange, says that it is 

 abundant during the summer months, and affects wastes 

 where gorse grows freely. It also breeds in some of 

 the- more elevated districts, but is nowhere common. 

 Mr. J. B. Hodgkinson has seen it in the breeding-season 

 on Beaton Fell, and Mr. John Weld also reports it as 

 nesting on the same range ; but near Middleton, where 

 it used to be plentiful, near Accrington, Bacup, and 

 Bury it is now very seldom observed. In the Eibble 

 valley it is met with occasionally, but is rare, and the 

 last example which came under my notice was seen by 

 Mr. T. Altham, near Mytton, in the spring of 1878, 

 being a fine male. It breeds in May, and five is the 

 usual number of eggs. 



