PRELIMINARY CLASSIFIED NOTES 167 



coloured patch of the male. Both sexes may further be distinguished by the great 

 length of the hind claw. The adult male, after the autumn moult, has the black 

 of the head completely obscured by sandy rufous margins to the feathers, while the 

 white of the eyebrow and neck are similarly marked with the same sandy buff ; 

 the chestnut of the nape is also marled by similar sandy buff fringes. The female 

 is browner than in summer, both on the upper and under parts, and may be dis- 

 tinguished from the male by the coloration of the head and neck, since these in the 

 winter retain the characteristic sexual coloration though obscured by the sandy buff 

 fringes referred to : raising the feathers will always display this coloration. The 

 young differ little from the parents, except that the young cock has less black on the 

 head. The fledgling differs conspicuously from the adults, being of a golden buff 

 indistinctly streaked with dusky above ; throat dull white, base of fore-neck and 

 flanks buff, indistinctly striated, breast and abdomen buffish white, [w. P. P.] 



2. Distribution. Northern Scandinavia and Russia ; also on Kolguev, 

 Waigatz, and Novaya Zemlya in Europe during the breeding season. Its range 

 also includes the Arctic regions of Asia and North America. [F. c. B. J.] 



3. Migration. This species is an uncommon migrational visitor to the 

 British Isles, most of the records being for the autumn passage. So far it is only 

 known to occur regularly on the east coast of Great Britain, but there are a number 

 of west coast records. In Ireland it has occurred only thrice : once on the Fastnet 

 (cf. Zool, 1889, p. 76), and twice in Co. Dublin (cf. Irish Naturalist, 1906, p. 112 ; 

 and Ussher, List of Irish Birds, 1908, p. 20). The first migrants usually appear 

 on our east coast early in September, but in 1907 they were recorded from Fair 

 Isle (Shetlands) as early as August 25 (cf. Annals Scot. Nat. Hist., 1908, p. 77). 

 The return journey takes place in May (cf. torn, cit., 1907, p. 71). The species 

 appears to be a solitary migrant as a rule, even on Heligoland, which is apparently 

 more directly in the stream of its migration than our islands are. But it often 

 consorts with other species, while a flock of 30-40, old and young, was recorded 

 from the Flannan Isles in 1904 (cf. torn, cit., 1904, p. 207), and one of over 100 

 from Flamborough in 1893 (cf. Nelson, B. of Yorks., 1907, p. 211). [A. L. T.] 



4. Nest and Eggs. Does not breed in the British Isles. 



5. Food. Insects and their larvae are taken at the seasons when they are 

 obtainable, but seeds probably form a more important part of the bird's diet. 

 These may be of various " arctic and alpine plants, especially willows and Arbuius 

 alpina" (cf. Macgillivray, British Birds, 1837, vol. i. p. 474). [A. L. T.] 



6. Song Period. Not yet recorded as singing^in the British Isles. 



