220 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Nestling. — (Not examined. A full feathered skin has long 

 pale grey down still remaining on feathers of occipital and supra- 

 orbital regions.) 



Juvenile. — Closel}' resembling adult winter but fore-head and 

 crown not so brown ; chin and throat smoke-gTey, tinged browTiish ; 

 breast and belly not cpiite so dark as adult and tinged brownish. 



First Winter, — Like adults. The juvenile body-feathers are 

 moulted in Aug. -Nov., but apparently not tail- or wing-feathers 

 or wing-coverts. 



Measurements and structure. — q wing 93-110 mm., tail 53-61, 

 tarsus 20-24, bill from feathers on ridge of culmen 23-30 (12 

 measured). $ wing 93-104, bill 23-28. Primaries: lit about twice 

 j)rimary-coverts and half 2nd, 4th and oth longest, 6th as long or 

 1-2 mm. shorter, 3rd 3-5 shorter, 2nd 13-20 shorter, and equal to 

 9th or- 10th; 3rd to 6th emarginated outer webs. Secondaries 

 equal 10th primary, tips sloped off to blunt point. Tail almost 

 square. Tail-feathers rounded and not stiff. Bill fine, flattened 

 at base but distal half compressed, slightly clecurvecl, point not very 

 sharp. No rictal bristles. Tarsal joint hidden by feathers. Claws 

 strong and much curved, hind claw rather longer than hind toe. 



Soft parts. — Bill black ; legs and feet black ; iris brown-black. 



Characters. — No subspecies. Long, slender, black bill, crimson on 

 wings and white spots on primaries clearly distinguish it. 



Field-characters. — Can hardly be confused with any other bird — 

 haunts rocks, precipices and walls, exploring their faces with 

 Creeper -like action and curious butterfly-like flight, giving glimpses 

 of crimson on expanded wings contrasting with black tail, tipped 

 white (F.C.R.J.). 



Breeding-habits. — Nests in crevices or recesses of precipices, 

 generally in most inaccessible spots. Nest. — Built of moss, roots, 

 grasses and bits of wool, lined with felted wool and hair and a 

 feather or two. Eggs. — Usually 4, sometimes 5 ; white, sjoarsely 

 freckled with fine reddish-brown specks, chiefly at the big end, 

 sometimes practicallj^ unmarked. Average of 31 eggs, 20.8 X 14.8 

 mm. Breeding-season. — From the end of May to mid-June. 

 Incubation. — Chiefly at any rate by the female. 



Food. — Almost entirely insects, especially larval stages and eggs 

 of diptera, lepidoptera, coleoptera and hymenoptera. A small 

 snail {Balea i^erversoS) has once been recorded, and spiders are 

 largely eaten. 



Distribution. — England. — Six or seven. One Stratton Strawless 

 (Norfolk), Oct., 1792. One Sabden (Lanes.), May 8, 1872. One 

 Winchelsea (Sussex) about 1886 (c/. Saunders, p. 119). Female 

 near Hastings (Sussex), Dec. 26, 1905 (W. R. Butterfield, Bull. 



