THE WIIINCHAT. 453 



latter's, a clicking " 'tza." Alarm-note, an insistent " u-tie, 

 u-tic-tic." 



Breeding-habits. — Usually nests on ground in mowing grass in 

 meadows, or at foot of low bush on hillside. Nest. — Built of dry 

 grasses, with moss in foundation, lined mth finer bents and hair. 

 Eggs. — 5 or more often 6, rarely 7 ; deep bluish-green, generally 

 with numerous very fine speckles of rusty-brown chiefly towards 

 big end. Average of 100 eggs, 18.6x14.3 mm. Breeding -season. — 

 From latter part of May and early June. Incubation. — 13-14 days, 

 apparently by hen only. Said by Saunders to be double brooded, 

 but this seems very doubtful. 



Food. — Insects, including coleoptera {Parnus, Haltica, Harpalus, 

 weevils, etc.) ; diptera, larvae of lepidoptera, orthoptera [Forficula), 

 etc. Also spiders and earthworms, and Saunders adds small 

 mollusca. 



Distribution. — Great Britain. — Summer-resident, somewhat local, 

 but widely distributed and in many parts very numerous. Rare 

 Cornwall, very local Orkneys, a rarely observed migrant only 

 in Shetlands ; spring and autumn migrant Fair Isle ; breeds 

 very sparingly O. Hebrides. Ireland. — Breeds locally throughout 

 Ulster and in north-east Mayo, Leitrim, Sligo, Roscommon and 

 Longford, scarcer in Louth, Dublin, Wicklow, Clare and Cork : 

 elsewhere a rare migrant. Winters on rare occasions both Great 

 Britain and Ireland. 



Migrations. — British Isles. — Early arrivals of summer -residents 

 begin end of first week April (early dates Berks. Mar. 6, 1919 ; Wilts. 

 Mar. 13, 1913, Mar. 15, 23, 26, 29) ; main arrival third week 

 April to fourth week May. Passage -migration by east coast route 

 (Channel to northern isles) first few days of May to end first week 

 June. Summer-residents begin to move south in Scotland second 

 week Jul}^ at end of month in north England and farther south 

 during Aug. Emigration from south coast fourth week Aug. to 

 fourth week Sept. Passage-movements east coast (northern 

 isles to Channel) mid- Aug. to end Sept. and stragglers in most 

 years to second week Oct. (late dates, Fair Isle, Oct. 15, 1913 ; 

 Inner Dowsing Lt.-v. (Lines.), Oct. 16, 1912 ; Cornwall, Oct. 22, 

 1912 ; Blackwater Bank Lt.-v. (Wexford) Nov. 9, 1890). Irish 

 summer-residents apparently arrive and depart mainly by south- 

 east and east coasts. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Breeding in Europe, from about lat. 70° 

 north in Scandinavia to Mediterranean (in Greece and south and 

 mid -Spain only on passage), wintering in tropical Africa. Replaced 

 by paler forms in south Daimatia, in the Caucasus (perhaps also 

 parts of Persia and Asia Minor), and west Siberia. 



