PRATINCOLA KUBICOLA. 43 



consisted of no less than 282 stones, while the 'foundation was 

 formed of 76 more, a total of 358, the largest being 2 inches long 

 by | inch wide and J inch deep, weighing 2 oz., the total weight 

 of all the stones being 4^ Ibs. A representation of this nest is 

 given : the cave was about six feet high and nearly circular, with 

 a diameter of about twelve feet. 



Verner found the usual number of eggs to be five, occasionally 

 only four ; and they appear to be irregular in laying, one nest 

 having fully fledged young on the 10th of April, other birds not 

 laying till the end of that month. 



Male. General colour black ; rmnp and under tail-coverts white. 

 Female. Sooty brown where black in male, and tinged with brown on 

 the white parts. Length 6^ inches. 



13. Pratincola rubetra (Linnseus). The WMnchat. 



Moorish. Erdan (Earner}. Spanish. Zarzalera. 



" Is only a passing migrant near Tangier, crossing to Europe 

 in April and May, returning to winter further south in September 

 and October. Is the most common of the Chats, except the 

 Stonechat." Favier. 



The Whinchat is met with as above, on the Spanish side being 

 first noticed on the 7th of April ; on the 20th, in 1870, many 

 hundreds passed at Gibraltar, also on the 12th of the same month 

 in 1872, and I noticed them as late as the 3rd of May. They 

 return in September, being never seen in winter, and are not yet 

 known to breed in the south of Spain. 



Male. Chest orange-rufous ; white line over eye from bill to nape ; basal 

 half of tail white, rest black. 



Female. Like male, but paler. 



Young. Like old female, but more spotted, with white tips to the 

 feathers. Length 5 inches. 



14. Pratincola rubicola (Linnreus). The Stonechat. 

 Moorish. Bou-erdan. Spanish. Caganchina, Cagaropa. 



" The Stonechat is resident and most abundant about Tangier, 



