80 sylviidjE. 
containing four beautiful blue eggs hard set on^ marked with 
a zone of light reddish brown spots. The nest was very 
large^ loosely built with grass and heather-roots^ lined inside 
with finer grass, two or three feathers of the Neophron, and 
one bit of palmetto fibre. 
7Q. Pratincola rubetra, Linn. The Whinchat. 
Moorish. Erdan [Favier). 
" Is only a passing migrant near Tangier, crossing to 
Europe in April and May, returning to winter further south 
in September and October. Is the most common of the 
Chats, except the Stonechat.^'' — Favier. 
The Whinchat is met with as above, on the Spanish side 
being first noticed on the 7th of April ; on the 20th, in 1870, 
many hundreds passed at Gibraltar, as on the 12th of the 
same month in 1872. I have seen it as late as the 3rd of May. 
They return in September, and are never seen in winter. 
The male has the basal half of the tail white, except the 
two central tail-feathers, and, from being not so conspicuously 
coloured as the Stonechat, is less likely to be observed. 
77. Pratincola rubicola, Linn. The Stonechat. 
Moorish. Bou-erdan. Spanish. Caganchina. 
" The Stonechat is resident and most abundant about 
Tangier, being seen in all directions, perched on the tops of 
plants, bushes, and hedges. They nest from March to July. 
Some arrive from Europe in September and October, leaving 
in February and March.^^ — Favier. 
It is everywhere seen in Andalucia, is one of the most com- 
mon and at the same time conspicuous birds. They increase 
in numbers in autumn and spring, but are as common in 
winter as in summer. I found a nest with five eggs hard set 
on the 10th of March. There is no doubt that they breed 
more than once in the season. 
Family Sylviid^. 
78. Philomela luscinia, Linn. The Nightingale. 
Moorish. Moui el hasin (Prince of Beauty, Favier) , Umm 
el hasin (Mother of Beauty) . Spanish. Ruiseuor. 
