70 A HAND -LIST OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



tributed in south, locally common in centre, thinly distributed and 

 local in north, apparently not breeding in north Sutherland or 

 Caithness. In Orkneys, Fair Isle, and Shetlands noted recently 

 as fairly frequent passage- migrant in autumn and in spring, and 

 has possibly once nested Orkneys. In I. Hebrides well known, but 

 to 0. Hebrides a somewhat rare passage- migrant, but occasionally 

 seen in summer and bred once Lewis (1881) and once Barra (1900). 



MIGRATIONS. Great Britain. A well-marked passage from early 

 Sept. to early Oct. down west coasts England and Wales and east 

 coasts Scotland and England. Also some evidence of immigration 

 from east on east coast during same period. 



DISTRIBUTION. Abroad. Europe from 65 north lat. in Scandinavia 

 to Mediterranean, also north Algeria and north Tunisia. Winters 

 in Africa and in small numbers in Canary Islands. Replaced from 

 Caucasus, Syria and Persia to west Siberia by Sylvia communis 

 icterops. 



SYLVIA CURRUCA 



148. Sylvia curruca curruca (L.) THE LESSER WHITE- 

 THROAT. 



MOTACILLA CURRUCA Linnaeus, Syst. Nat.,ed. x, i, p. 184 (1758 " Habitat 



in Europa." Restricted typical locality : Sweden). 



Sylvia curruca (Linnaeus), Yarrell, i, p. 410 ; Saunders, p. 43. 



DISTRIBUTION. England. Summer-resident (April to Sept.). 

 Generally distributed except in extreme south-west (where it nests 

 in Somerset and Devon, but is only a casual autumn- migrant to 

 Cornwall, and has occurred only once in Scilly Isles) and in north, 

 being local in Cumberland and Westmorland, and very rare in 

 Durham and Northumberland. Wales. Fairly well distributed 

 in eastern parts, but very rare or unknown in coastal counties on 

 west side. Scotland. All nesting-records doubtful, but those from 

 Dumfries, Ross, and Stirling may possibly be authentic, otherwise 

 only known as a passage- migrant, rare and occasional in Solway 

 and Clyde areas, once south-west Inverness, but not known else- 

 where on west side ; on east coast seems fairly regular in very small 

 numbers on autumn- passage, having been observed for several years 

 at Isle of May (Forth), but on mainland very rarely recorded. 

 Orkneys (Sule Skerry) once, Sept. 17, 1902 ; Fair Isle small numbers 

 in May (occasionally April and June) and in autumn (Aug. to Oct.) ; 

 Shetlands occurrence doubtful ; O. Hebrides three times, viz. : 

 Flannan Isles (Sept. 23, 1904, and May 21, 1905), Barra (Oct. 24, 

 1898). Ireland. Two. Tearaght Light (Kerry) Oct. 1, 1890, 

 Inishtrahull Light (Donegal) Oct. 10, 1899. 



