Ornithology of Corsica. 67 



in the high mountain-forests as in the towns near the 

 coast. The time of their arrival is noted by Whitehead as 

 April 12, 1883, and April 8, 1881,, while Wharton saw plenty 

 after April 15, and Playne records it as seen on April 19. 

 Parrot notes that a specimen from Ajaccio agrees closely 

 with two other South-European skins, and ascribes them to 

 this distinctly white-chinned race. Although in the towns 

 these Swifts build in sites similar to those adopted by our 

 English birds, and occasionally in crevices of the rocks among 

 the mountains, many pairs have taken to breeding in the 

 Great Spotted Woodpeckers' holes in the pine-forests. 

 W^hitehead observed them entering these holes ; and Avhile 

 taking my first nest of Whitehead's Nuthatch from a dead 

 pine, I flushed a Swift from a nest with three eggs in a 

 Woodpecker's hole about 20 ft. below the Nuthatches nest, 

 and some 35 ft. from the ground. On another occasion 

 a newly made Woodpecker's hole proved to contain a broken 

 Woodpecker's e^^, some days old, and a fresh Swift's e^^, 

 thus furnishing strong circumstantial evidence that the 

 Swift sometimes ejects the Woodpecker. Average size of 

 four Corsican eggs, 24"42x 16*55 mm.; max. 25"3 X 16'7, 

 min. 23.9 x 16*5 mm. 



101. Caprimulgus EUROP/EUs MERiDiONALis Hart. South- 

 European Nightjar. 



CaprimiiJgus europceus meridionalis Hartert, Ibis, 1896^ 

 p. 370 (South Europe and N.W. Africa). 



Local names : Buccaccio (Giglioli) ; Notulo. 



A fairly common summer resident. Pari'ot ascribes two 

 Corsican specimens to this race with some hesitation, 

 and remarks on the distinct rusty-yellow ground-colour 

 of the under surface^ smaller size (wing 185 and 187 mm.), 

 &c. Whitehead heard the note on INIay 12, and found the 

 first eggs on May 28. Corsican eggs taken by Whitehead 

 are decidedly smaller than those of the ordinary form. 

 Average size of eight eggs (seven measured by Hartert and 

 one by the writer), 2928 x 20*73 mm.; max. 31x20 and 

 30x21-8, min. 27*8 x 20 mm. British eggs average 3P5 X 

 22-28 mm, 



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