BFiUETHKOAT. 327 



twice a-year, it is singularly scarce. Mr. Gatke, however, 

 says (Journ. fiir Orn. 1856, p. 72) that it occurs every 

 spring, and in favourable weather in great numbers, on 

 Heligoland, whence possibly, some of those which reach 

 this country have strayed. 



The Bluethroat with the white spot, though wintering in 

 Africa, seems generally to keep to the more western part of 

 that continent, and Mr. Drake met with it in Morocco. It 

 is found in Algeria ; but though it does occur in Egypt, 

 seems there to be less common than the red-spotted form, 

 and its most eastern recorded locality is the valley of the 

 Lar, in Persia, where De Filippi observed it. It has been 

 killed in Malta, and occurs in Spain and Portugal. In most 

 parts of Europe it is a well-known though local bird. It 

 breeds, according to M. Bailly, in Savoy, but in small 

 numbers ; as also, says M. Gerbe, in some parts of France, 

 the departments of the Lower Charente, the Saone, and the 

 Saone and Loire. Further north it is more abundant, and 

 breeds regularly in the ozierbeds of Belgium, on the boggy 

 heaths of Holland, and in North Germany in every willow- 

 garth, says Dr. Borggreve, from the Ehine to the Vistula. 



The third and unspotted form of Bluethroat is much 

 scarcer than either of the others, and its range cannot be 

 indicated with any precision. It seems to occur most 

 frequently in Germany, but has been obtained also in 

 Holland and Spain. 



The Bluethroat has been commonly placed by authors in 

 the same genus with the Kedstarts, by whatever name that 

 genus is called, and any structural characters that can be 

 found to separate them must be of the most trivial kind ; 

 still, in habits, and especially in the mode of reproduction, 

 it differs from them almost enough to justify its segregation, 

 and in that case the name Cyanecula of Brehm, which is 

 coeval with his Ruticilla, should be used for it. 



The bill and irides dark brown : over the eye a white 

 streak ; the head, body and wings above, uniform clove-brown, 

 paler or slightly rufous on the outer edges of the flight- 

 feathers, and a few of the upper tail-coverts bright bay ; the 



