458 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



"whiter, more white on outer webs of three innermost secondaries 

 and some white on fourth and sometimes on fifth ; considerably 

 more white on inner feathers of all wing -co verts. Moult as in S. t. 

 hibernans commencing in July. Summer. — Abrasion has same 

 effect as in ^S^. t. hibernans and makes white rump and large white 

 wing-patch conspicuous, while belly becomes white and axillaries 

 and under wing-coverts almost uniform black. 



Adult female. Winter. — Upper-parts much paler brown than 

 S. t. hibernans ; rump and upper tail-coverts whitish-buff, feathers 

 with rufous-buff tips ; under-parts much paler than in S. t. 

 hibernans ; no white at base of tail-feathers as in male (9 S. t. 

 maura has about as much white at base of tail-feathers as (J S. t. 

 indica) ; edgings of wing-feathers and coverts much paler than 

 in S. t. hibernans and rather more white or pale buff at base of 

 innermost secondaries. 



Nestling. — (Not examined.) 



Juvenile. — Upper-parts paler than in 8. t. hibernans ; feathers 

 of rump and upper tail-coverts buffish-white at base and with 

 sandy-buff tips ; under-parts rather paler ; in males base of tail- 

 feathers white and white at base of four innermost secondaries. 



First winter. — As adults. Moult as in *S'. t. hibernans but 

 four innermost secondaries are moulted. 



Measurements and structure. — q wing 67-71 mm., tail 47-51, 

 tarsus 21-23, bill from skull 12.5-14 (12 measured). $ wing 66-70. 

 Primaries and structure as in 8. t. hibernans. 



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



Breeding-habits. — Generally breeds in loose stone-walls, lowthorny 

 bush or thick grass tussock close to ground. Nest. — Built of grass 

 mixed with moss, lined fine grass, hair and sometimes a few feathers. 

 Eggs. — 4-5, rarely 6. Similar in type to those of British Stonechat. 

 Average of 23 eggs, 17.7x13.78. Breeding -season. — Variable, 

 probably double brooded. Eggs from mid-March to June. 



Food. — Probably very similar to British Stonechat ; chiefly insects 

 but no exact details available. 



Distribution. — England — Male near Cley (Norfolk) Sept. 2, 1904 

 (Saunders, Bull. B.O.C., xvi, p. 10, and Brit. B. i, p. 7 ; cf. Hartert, 

 Vpg. pal. Fauna, i, p. 708). One Isle of May (Forth) Oct. 10, 1913 

 (E. V. Baxter and L. J. Rintoul, Scot. Nat., 1913, pp. 273-4). 



Distribution. — Abroad. — West Siberia, Russian Turkestan to 

 south Ural and western Himalayas, wintering in India generally. 

 Represented by 8. t. hibernans in British Isles, by >S'. t. rubicola* 

 in continental Europe from south Sweden to Mediterranean, east 



* This form has not yet been proved to occur in the British Isles so far as 

 we are aware. 



