38 



WHITE-SPOTTED BLUETHROAT. 

 Cyanecula leucocyana (Brchni). 



Accidental visitant from Central and Western Europe, of extremely 

 rare occurrence. 



This species breeds in France, Belgium, Holland, North 

 Germany, and so throughout temperate Europe as far as 

 the west of Russia. Its winter quarters are in the western 

 and northern parts of Africa, Armenia, and southwards to 

 Afghanistan. 



The first known instance of the visitation of this rare 

 migrant to Yorkshire, and to Britain, is that communicated 

 by the late Afred Roberts of Scarborough. Writing to Mr. 

 W. Eagle Clarke on 1st January 1880, he stated that " a fine 

 female specimen of the Blue-throated Warbler was found 

 dead under the telegraph wires, near Scarborough, by the 

 late John Young, gamekeeper to Lord Londesborough (April 

 1876). The ovary contained eggs in a forward state. It 

 had a white satiny spot in the centre of the blue throat. The 

 specimen is in the possession of Mrs. Young." 



This example was recorded at the time by the Rev. Julian 

 G. Tuck (Zoo/. 1876, p. 4956; and Field, 6th May 1876), 

 thus : "I have much pleasure in recording for the first time 

 in Yorkshire, the occurrence of the Bluethroat, or Blue- 

 throated Warbler. A specimen of this rare little bird, which 

 had been picked up dead under the telegraph wires at Seamer, 

 near Scarborough, was taken to Mr. Roberts of Scarborough, 

 on the I2th April. Its head and neck had been consideraby 

 damaged from coming in contact with the wires ; in addition 

 to which, the man who found it kept it several days, and 

 then carried it to Scarborough in his pocket. Mr. Roberts 

 thought, when he first saw it, that it would be impossible 

 to mount it, but with skilful handling and great patience 

 he has now managed to make it into a very presentable 



