WHEATEAR. 259 



The Wheatear is abundant on the European Continent, 

 and very numerous on the northern shores of the Mediterra- 

 nean in spring, and again in autumn. M. Temminck says it 

 is found in Dahnatia and the Morea ; Mr. Strickland ob- 

 served it at Smyrna in April ; and the Zoological Society 

 have received specimens from Keith Abbott, Esq., obtained 

 at Trebizond, lat. 40° 45' N., long. 40° 25' E., the most east- 

 ern locality, as far as I am aware, that has yet been quoted 

 for this species. 



The adult male in the breeding season has the beak, the 

 space between the beak and the eye, a small line under the 

 eye, and the ear-coverts, black ; the irides dark brown ; the 

 space above the base of the beak, a narrow line over the eye, 

 and a small space above the ear-coverts, white ; the head, 

 back, and scapulars, of a fine light grey ; wing-coverts and 

 quill-feathers almost black : upper tail-coverts white ; the two 

 middle tail-feathers, with the proximal third, white, — the 

 distal two-thirds black ; all the other tail-feathers have the 

 proximal two-thirds white, the distal one-third black : chin 

 and throat buff colour ; belly, flanks, vent, and under tail- 

 coverts, pale bufFy white ; legs, toes, and claws, black. 



The whole length of the adult bird is six inches and a 

 half. From the carpal joint to the end of the longest quill- 

 feather, three inches and seven-eighths : the first feather very 

 short ; the second as long as the fifth ; the third and fourth 

 equal in length, and the longest in the wing. 



In the adult female, during the breeding season, the ear- 

 coverts are dark brown ; the grey of the back and the bufl^ of 

 the under surface of the body are each clouded with brown. 



Immediately after the breeding season the annual moulting 

 takes place, and the plumage of old and young is then very 

 similar : the beak and the colours of the cheeks are much 

 the same as before, but the top of the head, back, and sca- 

 pulars are reddish brown, slightly tinged with grey ; each 



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