303 



in Transcaucasia. It is also of general occurrence in suitable country 

 over the whole of central and W. Europe. Southward its range extends 

 to S. Spain and Portugal and Irby records it as nesting in the Gibraltar 

 cork woods, but in Italy it is chiefly known on passage, though a few 

 pairs breed in the hills of the Po valley and in the Apennines and it 

 is said to nest in Sicily, but it is absent from Corsica, and rare on 

 migration in Sardinia. In the Balkan peninsula it breeds in Montenegro, 

 Herzegowina, and Epirus (Lilford), but is not known to nest in Greece, 

 Macedonia and apparently Bulgaria, except in the hills of the Dobrudscha. 

 Although for the greater part of its range it chiefly haunts low ground, 

 it ranges up to 5500 ft. in the Pyrenees, and 3000 ft. in the Car- 

 pathians and Caucasus. [In N. W. Africa Irby states that it nests near 

 Tangier, Hartert states that it breeds in considerable numbers near Ham- 

 mam Meskoutine and Algiers, and AVhitaker believes that it must breed 

 in Tunisia: eggs ascribed to this species from Gafsa are however those 

 of S. hortensis (orphea auct.) In Asia it is found in W. Siberia to 

 Krasnoyarsk, and also in Transcaucasia, while it has been obtained in 

 Persia in May, and is said by Tristram to breed in Palestine, though this 

 requires confirmation.] 



Generally placed lower down in bushes than that of the Blackcap, Nest. 

 and often found in gardens, shrubberies etc. The usual height is from 

 1 ft. 6 in. to 6 ft., but exceptionally nests have been found 10 — 14 ft. 

 from the ground in trees. Several nests have been found in tall ferns, 

 while others are recorded in rows of peas, among tares in fields, in ivy 

 on walls, and often in gooseberry or currant bushes. Perhaps the most 

 remarkable site is that recorded by von Homeyer from Hiddensoe, at the 

 bottom of a deep hole in sandy ground, probably an old mouse hole! 

 The nest is slightly constructed of long dead grasses and stalks bent 

 round, lined with finer grasses and a few hairs. It is rather more sub- 

 stantial than that of the Blackcap. Diameter of cup abont 2i — 21 in. 

 depth. II in. 



Usually 5, occasionally only 4 or rarely 6 in number. They are Eggs, 

 generally but not invariably to be distinguished from Blackcap's by 

 slightly larger size, greater gloss, lighter surface markings and distinct 

 grey shellmarkings , while the distinctly red type rarely if ever occurs. 

 Probably the few cases in which it is said to occur are due to errors 

 in observation. Ground colour, either pure white or yellowish or pale 

 greenish, spotted and blotched sometimes with light shades of olive and 

 brown, sometimes also with darker markings and soft edges. One variety 

 is almost white; another has big yellowish patches on a white ground, 

 a third has brand spots like a Waxwing's egg on a greyish ground (Rey) 



