ARCTIC BLUE-THROATED ROBIN. 271 



Lowestoft, found, in July of that year, strangled in a fishing-net, on 

 Gunton Denes ; and, lastly, Mr. Eagle Clarke has sent me a female bird 

 of the year for examination, which was shot in his presence this autumn 

 on Spurn Point. 



The Arctic Blue-throat breeds within the Arctic circle, or in the birch- 

 regions at high elevations of more southerly climes, both in Europe and 

 Asia ; in the latter continent it breeds as far south as the Himalayas, and 

 occasionally crosses Behring's Straits into Alaska. The European birds 

 pass through Central and Southern Europe and Palestine on migration, 

 and winter in North Africa as far south as Abyssinia ; whilst the Asiatic 

 birds, with the exception of those individuals breeding at high elevations 

 in the south, pass through Turkestan, Mongolia, and North China, and 

 winter iu Baluchistan, India and Ceylon, Burma, the Andaman Islands, and 

 South China. 



It is only during the periods of migration that ornithologists in tem- 

 perate Europe have an opportunity of observing the habits of this interesting 

 little bird ; for it spends its summer far away in the arctic north, and its 

 winter in Africa. Perhaps no other place of call at which this little song- 

 ster stays on its annual journey is so favoured with its presence as the 

 little island of Heligoland, to the natives of which it is a well-known and 

 anticipated guest. My friend Gaetke, the veteran ornithologist, writes to 

 me : " Here, during the month of May, if a cold, dry north wind is not 

 actually blowing, this little bird is without fail a daily visitor; but should 

 the weather be fine, if a gentle east or south-east wind should have been 

 blowing early in the morning, accompanied by fine warm drizzling rain, it 

 is often so numerous that Aeuckeus and I have frequently each shot from 

 thirty to fifty birds on such a day, picking out only the finest-plumaged 

 males. From the middle of August to the middle of September, whenever 

 the weather is suitable, it is generally even more frequent. At this 

 season of the year they confine themselves almost entirely to the potatoe- 

 fields outside the town, whilst in spring one sees them most frequently 

 hopping about under the gooseberry and currant-bushes in our gardens. 

 They seem, however, to have a special preference for the beds planted 

 thickly with cabbages, just beginning to resprout in spring. They also 

 frequent the dead branches of the so-called ' Throstle-bushes/ as well as 

 shady corners in the fences of the gardens ; and sometimes they are even 

 found at the foot of the rocks amongst the fallen stones, or in dark 

 clefts of the cliffs. This charming bird, like the Robin, is a most confiding 

 little creature. When you are at work iu the garden, if you only take care 

 to appear as if you were taking no notice of him, he will remain for 

 hours together within twenty paces of you, hopping constantly about with 

 quick steps, at each of the many pauses standing erect with quivering 

 outspread tail raised above the wings, and looking eagerly around with 



