PRELIMINARY CLASSIFIED NOTES 7 



olive-brown coloration, and the fact that the ' bastard ' or first primary never 

 exceeds the major coverts in length. (PI. 50.) The male, in spring, is olive-brown 

 above, the wings and tail being somewhat darker, while the primaries have whitish 

 tips. The sides of the head incline to ashy grey, and there may be a faint buff 

 superciliary streak. The throat, fore-breast, and flanks are of an ochreous buff, 

 while the centre of the breast, abdomen, and under tail-coverts are greyish white. 

 After the autumn moult the upper parts incline to russet-brown, the throat, breast, 

 and abdomen are pure white, while the fore-breast and flanks are of a pale greyish 

 brown. Length, 5'75 in. [146 mm.]. The sexes are alike 1 . The juvenile plumage 

 differs from that of the adults in that the fore-breast and flanks are decidedly 

 yellower ; the throat and under tail-coverts are buff-coloured, [w. p. p.] 



2. Distribution. Generally distributed as a breeding species over the Conti- 

 nent, with the exception of the extreme north of Scandinavia and Russia, and the 

 southern parts of the Italian and Balkan peninsulas. It also breeds locally in 

 N.-W. Africa and W. Siberia and possibly W. Persia. In Great Britain it is generally 

 distributed, but only breeds in the Tamar valley in E. Cornwall and is scarce in 

 N. Devon, Pembroke, and the counties along the N. Wales coast, while in Scot- 

 land, though commoner than the blackcap in the south, and recorded breeding as 

 far north as the Tay area, it is absent from the Outer Hebrides, the mainland north 

 of the Great Glen and the Orkneys and Shetlands. In Ireland it is extremely local 

 and little known, but has been known to breed in all four provinces. Outside its 

 breeding range it occurs in S. Italy, Greece, Asia Minor and Palestine and in 

 tropical and Southern Africa. It has been recorded from Damaraland, Lake 

 Ngami, the Transvaal and Natal, but not from Cape Colony. [F. c. E. J.] 



3. Migration. This species is a summer visitor of somewhat restricted dis- 

 tribution in Great Britain. In our country it arrives rather later than its congener 

 the blackcap, and is rarely seen before the middle of April, while the main body 

 generally arrives during the second and third weeks of May. Notes of its departure 

 in autumn are rather scanty, but it seems probable that the majority of our native 

 birds have taken their departure by the middle of September. It has been 

 recorded (Ann. Scot. N. H., 1907, p. 190, and 1908, p. 135) from Fair Island and 

 other places within the Scottish area during the latter half of September and as 

 late as the 26th October, but it is more than probable that these were birds of 

 passage from Scandinavia or Central Europe, [j. L. B.] 



4. Nest and Eggs. Often in gardens, shrubberies, outskirts of plantations, 

 etc., and generally built rather lower than that of the blackcap, though occasionally 



