478 Captain H. Lynes — Bird-notes 



still further west, viz. the last twenty-five miles of the 

 Guadiana River, Mr. Eatcliff and 1, during April and May 

 1905; found the Black-throated nesting quite plentifully, 

 but never saw a single Black-eared. 



A few males of both species in a brown autumn-like 

 plumage were observed during April. The sexual oigans of a 

 Black-throated in such a dress, shot at 6000 ft. in the Sierra 

 Nevada on May 1st, and apparently in company with a full- 

 plumaged male of the same species and his mate, were by no 

 means in breeding condition, although the nesting-season of 

 the species was well advanced. 



The 1st of May was the latest date that birds in this brown 

 ])lumage were noted ; and I have observed a similar early 

 spring appearance and disappearance of such birds in other 

 parts of the Mediterranean area. Is it possible that these 

 individuals are merely abnormally late in getting into full 

 summer plumage, and on that account will not rear a 

 breed that season ? 



[Three pairs brought home are very interesting, because 

 Lynes took the utmost pains to make certain that they 

 Avere actually paired birds. The males are all of the black- 

 throated form. One female has a distinctly blackish throat. 

 Both the other females have black bases to the feathers of 

 the throat, and where the tips of these feathers are worn the 

 black shews through. It may here be remarked that the 

 white-throated form of the male (J. e., the Black-eared 

 AVheatear) sometimes has the feathers of the throat white 

 to the base, and sometimes has them with black bases ; and 

 it may be added that the amount of black at the base varies 

 individually. This fact seems a small argument in favour of 

 regarding the two forms as dimorphisms. Lynes^s obser- 

 vations are worthy of careful attention, but they do not 

 seem to me to afford absolute proof either way. 



Two specimens in the plumage which Lynes refers to as 

 " autumn-like ' ' are undoubtedly in first summer plumage, 

 the difference between this and the adult summer plumage 

 being comparable with the differences observed in the same 

 plumages in the Common Wheatear. — H. F. W.'] 



