234 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



white. Summer. — Abrasion makes upper-parts, tail, wings, and 

 wing-coverts still greyer and flanks and under tail-coverts still 

 less buff. 



Juvenile. — Like that of P. a. britannicus but nuchal patch 

 usually white ; mantle, scapulars and back gi-eenish-grey ; cheeks 

 and ear-coverts paler yellow, sometimes almost white ; sooty- 

 brown of throat extending on to upper-breast and wider than in 

 P. a. britannicus ; rest of under-parts nearly white, only tinged 

 yellow ; fringes of tail- and wing-feathers greyer as in adult. 



Measurements and structure. — As in P. a. britannicus, but 

 slightly larger, except tarsus, which averages smaller. ^ wing 

 60-65 mm., tail 44-49, tarsus 16-17, bill from skull 9-10.5. $ wing 

 58-64. 



Characters and all| pD forms. — For differences of P. a. britan- 

 nicus and hibernicus see under those forms. P. a. vieirce (Spain, 

 Portugal) and P. a. sardus (Sardinia) are very similar to each other 

 and intermediate between P. a. ater and P. a. britannicus, P. a. 

 Cypriotes (Cyprus) is darker on upper-parts than P. a. britannicus 

 and white nuchal patch and white sides of neck are smaller and 

 flanks browner, P. a. atlas (Marocco) resembles P. a. sardus but 

 has greyer flanks, a greenish tinge on crown and round white spots 

 on tips of feathers of lower-throat, P. a. ledouci (Tunis, Algeria) 

 has cheeks, ear-coverts, and middle of breast and belly lemon- 

 yellow, P. a. derjugini (Armenia) somewhat resembles P. a. britan- 

 nicus but has longer bill, P. a. michaloivskii (Caucasus) has thicker 

 bill, P, a. jjhceonotus (Persia) is similar but is brown on mantle, 

 P. a. pekinensis (north China, Mongolia) and P. a. cemodius (Hima- 

 layas) have feathers of crown elongated, P. a. insularis (Japan) 

 is much like P. a. ater but under-parts are cream-coloured. 



Breeding -HABITS. — Like those of British race. Often nests in 

 hole of ground ; occasionally in a wall, once recorded from a Sand- 

 Martin's hole. Eggs. — Slightly smaller on average than British ; 

 average of 105 eggs, 14.7 Xll.6 mm. Markings similar. Breeding- 

 season. — From early May in the north, where it is single-brooded. 



Food. — Chiefly insects and seeds found in coniferous forests. 



piSTRiBUTiON. — British Isles. — Said to be occasional visitor to east 

 ioast England, but we loiow of only four s^'^ecimens (two in Mr. 

 J. H. Gurney's coll.), viz. : Northrepps (Norfolk), Jan. 15, 1866 ; 

 Lakenham, Norwich, spring, 1866 {cf. Birds Europe, iii, p. 88) ; and 

 two Thanet (Kent), one spring, 1893, and one Oct. 26, 1913 {Brit. B., 

 VII, p. 262). Two reported seen Parkstone (Dorset), Jan., 1915 

 {cf., op. cit., XI, p. 237). 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Europe and north Asia, but replaced 

 by allied races in Sardinia, Spain and Portugal, and in Marocco, 

 Algeria, and Tunisia, C;y7Drus, Crimea, Caucasus, and parts of Asia. 



