430 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



usually browner, less black, throat and breast sometimes deeper 

 buff but this is variable. Summer. Upper -parts seem never to 

 become so pure french-grey (i.e., more tinged with brown) as in 

 adult of typical form, throat and breast decidedly richer and 

 deeper buff and belly less whitish, this difference being observable 

 even in worn plumage. 



Adult female. Winter and first winter male and female. 

 Upper -parts as in typical form, under -parts as a rule deeper buff 

 but some examples of typical form cannot be distinguished. 



Nestling. (Not examined.) 



Juvenile. Like that of (E. as. cenanthe. 



First summer. Male. Upper -parts less grey than in typical 

 form and throat and breast decidedly richer and deeper buff and 

 belly less whitish. 



N.B. Moults as in (E. oe. cenanthe. The deeper buff of under - 

 parts is distinctive in males in spring and summer, but is an 

 uncertain character in autumn even when first winter and adult 

 birds are carefully separated. Black on tail-feathers slightly 

 more extended, measurements taken as in (E. oe. cenanthe being : 

 $ adult winter and summer : central tail-feathers 35-42 and not 

 infrequently to base ; outermost tail-feathers 20-28. 1st winter 

 and 1st summer : central tail-feathers 36-44 and often to base ; 

 outermost tail-feathers 20-28. 



Measurements and structure. Q wing 103-108 mm. (exception- 

 ally as short as 100 and as long as 110), tail 58-62, tarsus 27-33, 

 bill from skull 17-19 (12 measured). $ wing 96-104. Structure 

 as in (E. oe. cenanthe. 



FIELD -CHARACTERS. Closely resembles Common Wheatear, but 

 has darker buff under-parts, is slightly larger, and frequently 

 perches in trees. Strictly a bird of passage, later than Common 

 Wheatear, and often seen in May in places where that species does 

 not nest. 



BREEDING-HABITS. Similar to those of Common Wheatear and 

 Nest also alike. Eggs. Clutch often larger than with southern 

 birds, 6 to 8 and even 9 in number : similar in appearance but 

 slightly larger on average. Average of 40 eggs, 21.7 X 15.8 mm. 

 Breeding-season. June. Hantzsch gives incubation-period in Ice- 

 land as 13-14 days. Single brooded. 



FOOD. Diptera and larvae, acaridae, spiders, etc. Also bits of 

 phanerogams and moss in stomach (Le R,oi). 



DISTRIBUTION. British Isles. Passage-migrant through Great 

 Britain and Ireland. 



MIGRATIONS. British Isles. Probably passes through most counties 

 as arrives on whole of southern seaboard, but travels mainly by 



