332 THE BIRDS OF HELIGOLAND 



143.- Whin Chat [BRAUNKEHLIGER WIESENSCHMATZER]. 

 SAXICOLA RUBETRA, Linn.* 



Heligolandish : Kapper ; name for Chat. 



Saxicola rubetra. Naumann, iii. 903. 



Whin Chat. Dresser, ii. 255. 



Traquet tarier. Temminck, Manuel, i. 244, iii. 164. 



Warmth seems to be a condition specially necessary to the life 

 of this little bird, since in spring it never makes its appearance 

 before the weather has become settled, warm, and fine, in the first 

 or second week in May ; similarly it departs as early as August 

 before the least noticeable fall of temperature has taken place. 

 During the spring migration the birds principally frequent the 

 gardens of the island, where they perch on the end of almost every 

 bare twig, flying upwards from these almost perpendicularly in 

 pursuit of any insects that may happen to be roaming above them, 

 and then redescending to the same twig with a slight and graceful 

 turn. During its passage in August and the beginning of Septem- 

 ber, the birds by preference resort to the potato-fields, which on 

 calm warm days literally teem with them. In spring also, however, 

 the bird may be counted among the most numerous visitors to the 

 island. 



The breeding home of this species extends through central and 

 northern Europe to beyond the Arctic Circle. The western range 

 of its breeding stations in Asia appears not to be definitely estab- 

 lished ; they must, however, extend to the longitude of Turkestan, 

 inasmuch as Sewertzoff cites this bird both as a breeding species 

 and a bird of passage for the latter country. 



144. Stone Chat [SCHWARZKEHLIGER WIKSEXSCHMATZER]. 



SAXICOLA RUBICOLA, Linn. 2 

 Heligolandish: Swart-hoaded Kapper = Black-h eaded Cliat. 

 Saxicola rubicola. Naumann, iii. 884. 

 Stone Chat. Dresser, ii. 263. 



Traquet rubicole. Temminck, Manuel, i. 246, iii. 168. 



Quite contrary to the preceding closely related species, the 

 Stone Chat starts on its journey for the nesting stations when 

 winter has hardly yet departed, viz. during the first days of March, 

 and sometimes even, as in 1882, as early as the 26th and 27th 

 of February. It occurs, invariably, only in isolated instances, it 



1 Pratincola rubelra (Linn.). - Pratincola rubicola (Linn.). 



