78 THE BIRDS OF ESSEX. 



as " a summer visitor breeding in the furze-bushes." Around Saffron Walden, Mr. 

 Clarke wrote (24), about 1845, that it bred occasionally. King says (20) it is 

 common at Sudbury. Round Harwich it is scarce, though it breeds there (Kerry) 

 At Orsett, it is uncommon (Sackett). Henry Doubleday says (10) that in 1832, 

 he saw, in a collection at Colchester, " a snow-white specimen which had been 

 obtained near there." 



Stonechat : Pratincola rubicola. Locally, " Furzechat," and 

 " Blackcap." 



Chiefly a summer visitor, though partially resident, as some 



remain throughout the winter. 

 It breeds commonly on Ling- 

 wood, Danbury, Mill Green, 

 Fryerning, and other furze- 

 covered commons through 

 out the county. 



Henry Doubleday, writing in 



Nov., 183 1, to T. C. Heysham, 



says (10) it "used to abound on 



the furze bushes by the sides of the 



forest, but, what is very singular, 



it ihas within the last three years 



, . ,, totally disappeared." Inalaterlet- 



s,t;o'K'e.chat, 7naie in sunnner, Yci. -' '^'^ 



ter (ApnliiSth, 1833), he says (10) : 



" I forget if I ever mentioned to you the total disappearance of the Stonechat 



from us. About six years since it was very common, but for the last three 



years I have not seen one, and have only a bad specimen of the male." The 



same thing has been observed elsewhere. Round Epping it is now " much 



more abundant than the Whinchat ; breeds on the open forest ; a few remain 



throughout the year " (Buxton — 47. 91). Round Saffron Walden it bred 



occasionally (about 1845), like its cousin the Whinchat, but was not common 



(Clarke — 24). King says (20) it is common at Sudbury. At Orsett, it is 



"far more abundant than the Whinchat, especially in furze-covered districts, 



such as Mucking Heath and Orsett Heath, where it resides (Sackett). Round 



Harwich it is common and breeds (Kerry). During a spell of cold weather 



about the middle of March, 1883, Mr. Travis received one (a female or young 



bird) shot near Walden. On Dec. 4th, 1879, I saw a female between here and 



Chelmsford, but comparatively few remain w'ith us through the winter. 



Redstart : Riiticilla phoeniairus. Locally, " Firetail." 



A regular summer visitor, though rather uncommon, at least in the 

 inland parts of the county. Its arrival may usually be looked for 

 about the middle of April, when for a short time the birds are much 

 more numerous than during summer. It breeds sparingly in all parts 

 of the county, I believe, and used to do so, if it does not now, 

 abundandy near Shoebury. 



