THE SCANDINAVIAN CHIFFCHAFF. 301 



feathers. Eggs. — Usually 6, occasionally 5 or 7, rather glossy 

 white in ground and spotted and speckled with dark purplish- 

 brown. Also said to occur with reddish-brown markings. Average 

 of 71 British eggs, 15.3 X 12.1 mm. Breeding-season. — From 

 early May to end of month : probably single-brooded as a rule. 

 Incubation. — About 13 days : aj^parently by hen only. 



Food. — Eggs, larvae and imagines of small insects (coleoptera, 

 diptera, lepidoptera) : also aphides and small spiders, mostly 

 obtained from forest trees, often at a considerable height. 



Distribution. — England, Wales, and Ireland. — Summer-resident, 

 and in most years a few winter in south England, especially Corn- 

 wall and Devon, and in Ireland, and very exceptionally in north 

 England. Well distributed, but rare or local in Norfolk, Lanes., 

 and north -west Yorks. Also a passage-migrant. Scotland. — Except 

 in south-west (Solway and Clyde) and south-east (Tweed), where 

 it is local summer -resident, in Forth, where it is extremely local, 

 and in some I. Hebrides, where it has nested (Arran, Bute, Mull), 

 it is a somewhat rare passage -migrant occurring in small numbers 

 up east side, and still more rarely in Orkneys, Fair Isle, and Shet- 

 lands. On west side from Argyll northwards practically unre- 

 corded, but has been noted as fairly common near Loch Maree 

 (Ross.) (A. H. Evans, Ann. S.N.H., 1896, p. 94) ; only a rare 

 vagrant to 0. Hebrides. 



Migrations. — British Isles. — Early stragglers, second week March 

 (early dates Mar. 2, 5, 6.) Main arrival of summer-residents 

 begins March 25 to 30, and lasts to about fourth week April. 

 Passage-migration, second week April to third week May. Departure 

 of summer-residents begins first week Aug. and becomes merged 

 in movements of passage-migrants that begin about second week 

 Sept. and last to mid-Oct. (late dates Oct. 31, Nov. 1,7.) 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Breeding in central, west, and south 

 Europe. Winters in Mediterranean countries, and in tropical 

 Africa. Replaced by closely-allied forms in east and north Europe, 

 Siberia, and central Asia, and on Canary Islands. 



124. Phylloscopus collybita abietinus (Nilss.) — THE SCAN- 

 DINAVIAN CHIFFCHAFF. 



Sylvia ABiKTiNA Nilsson, Kgl. Vet.-Akad. Handl., p. 115(1819, Sweden). 

 Phylloscopus collybita ahietina (Nilss.), Bonhote, Bull. B.O.C.xxiii, p. 21; 

 id., Brit. B., 11, p. 233. 



Description. — Very similar to Ph. c. collybita and in autumn 

 usually not to be distinguished by coloration, though sometimes 

 distinctly whiter on under-parts. In spring and summer upper- 

 parts are paler, more greyish, especially on crown, najDe and upper 



