PRELIMINARY CLASSIFIED NOTES 333 



the day after he had sailed from Ireland, and they stayed on or about the ship until 

 she reached America " (Ussher and Warren, B. of Ireland, 1900, p. 8). [A. L. T.] 



4. Nest and Eggs. The nest is generally well hidden in a hole, under stones 

 or rocks, in rabbit-burrows, or almost any natural crevice ; occasionally in curious 

 sites, such as old kettles, drain-pipes, shells, or even in a sand-martin's hole. It 

 is loosely constructed of grasses, with sometimes moss, hair, wool, or a feather or 

 two added. (PI. xv.) The male assists the female in building (Saxby, Birds of 

 Shetland, p. 69). Eggs generally 6, sometimes 5 or even 7 in number, pale blue, 

 generally unmarked, but occasionally speckled with dark red-brown. (PI. C.) 

 Average size of 100 eggs, 81 x '61 in. [20*7 x 15'5 mm.]. The eggs are laid about 

 the end of April or early in May, and incubation is chiefly performed by the hen, 

 although the cock also takes his turn occasionally (Saxby, /. c.). Period of incuba- 

 tion about a fortnight. Two broods are generally reared in the Shetlands, but 

 in England I have usually found that only one is reared. [F. c. R. J.] 



5. Food. Chiefly insects. The young are fed by both parents on insects and 

 their larvae, spiders, occasionally molluscs (see p. 399). On migration the birds 

 will follow the ebb tide. [E. L. T.] 



6. Song Period. From the end of April to the beginning of June. [E. L. T.] 



GREENLAND WHEATEAR [Saxicola cenanthe leucorhoa (Gmelin)]. 



1. Description. A larger and longer-winged race than the preceding, and 

 differs from it in having in winter plumage the underside, especially the chin, throat 

 and forebreast, a vivid rust colour (rostfarbe), and the same parts less pale in 

 breeding plumage. (Hartert, Vo'gel der Paldarktischen Fauna, i. p. 681). [F. B. K.] 



2. Distribution and Migration. breeds in N.-E. America, Greenland, 

 Iceland, and Faeroes. Migrates to winter- quarters in W. Europe, Africa at least 

 as far south on the west as Senegambia, and on the east as Fashoda, the 

 Canaries and Azores, and in America south to New York, Colorado, Louisiana. 

 It is in our Isles only a bird of passage on its way to and from Greenland, 

 Iceland and the Faeroes. [F. c. R. J.] 



WHIN CHAT [Pratincola rubetra (Linnaeus). Utick, grasschat, furzechat, 

 hay-bird. French, tarier ordinaire ; German, braunkehliger Wiesenschmdtzer ; 

 Italian, stiaccino~\. 



I. Description. Readily distinguished from the stonechat at all ages and 

 seasons by the length of the remicle (bastard quill), which does not exceed the 



