306 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



FOOD. Eggs, larvae and imagines of insects, mainly coleoptera, 

 diptera, and smaller lepidoptera, chiefly from hedgerows and 

 bushes : also aphides, spiders, etc. Elder berries and currants 

 eaten in autumn (Naumann). 



DISTRIBUTION. British Isles. Summer-resident, abundant and 

 widely distributed, but somewhat local Cornwall, local north 

 Caithness, local Skye, but common in other I. Hebrides ; has 

 nested very rarely 0. Hebrides and Shetlands, but is seen on spring 

 and autumn passage in these islands, as well as Fair Isle and 

 Orkneys. Also abundant passage-migrant on south, west, and 

 east coasts England, and east coast Scotland. Occasionally stays 

 winter in south (rarely in north) England and in Ireland. 



MIGRATIONS. British Isles. Early arrivals from third week March 

 onwards (early dates March 9, 10, 11). Main arrival of summer- 

 residents begins second week April and becomes merged in move- 

 ments of passage-migrants that start at same time and last to 

 first week June. Departure of summer-residents begins last week 

 July and lasts to end Sept. Passage-migration, early Aug. to end 

 first week Oct. Stragglers fairly frequent up to Oct. 22nd (late 

 date Nov. 5). 



DISTRIBUTION. Abroad. From Lapland, Finland, Scandinavia, 

 and north Russia throughout west, central, and south Europe, 

 except in Balkan Peninsula. In winter in Africa, in small numbers 

 in Mediterranean countries. Passage -migrant Canaries : casual 

 Madeira. Replaced in north-east Russia and Siberia by Ph. t. 

 eversmanni. 



127. Phylloscopus trochilus eversmanni (Bp.) -- THE 

 NORTHERN WILLOW-WARBLER. 



PHYLLOPNETTSTE EVERSMANI (corr. eversmanni) Bonaparte, Consp. Gen, 

 Av., i, p. 289 (1850 Ex Eversmann, Addenda. Actual typical 

 locality : Kazan and Orenburg). 



Phylloscopus trochilus eversmanni (Bonap.), C. B. Ticehurst, Bull. B.O.C., 

 xxin, p. 20 ; c/. Brit. B., n, pp. 234, 342, v, p. 28). 



DESCRIPTION (Plate 11). ---Adult male and female. Winter. Like 

 Ph. t. trochilus and impossible to distinguish satisfactorily but 

 usually rather browner and less green on upper-parts. Moult 

 as in Ph. t. trochilus. Summer. Moult as in Ph. t. trochilus after 

 which it is considerably browner and less green than the typical 

 form on upper -parts ; eye-stripe whiter ; ear -coverts and sides 

 of neck brown and white ; under -parts whiter, less marked with 

 yellow ; under wing-coverts and axillaries yellow to pale yellow 

 (occasionally whitish). Individuals vary, some (especially more 

 eastern examples) having scarcely any green on upper -parts and 

 having no yellow on under -parts (except under wing) and eye- 



