THE FLANNAN ISLES 269 



Great numbers arrive, sometimes thousands, in October 

 and November. Some are seen all winter. 



White-throated Sparrow, Zonotrichia albicollis. — 

 An adult male of this American bunting was shot near 

 the lighthouse on i8th May 1909. {Ann. Scot. Nat. 

 Hist., 1909, p. 246.) The date is, perhaps, not in favour 

 of its having arrived in the British Islands unassisted. 



Skylark, Alauda arvensis. — Occurs regularly on 

 passage in spring and autumn, usually in small numbers. 

 A few visit the island during severe weather in winter, 

 but do not remain long. 



From the records it appears to be most numerous in 

 spring, when it occurs from mid- February, during 

 March, and to mid- April (15th latest date). 



In autumn a few have been seen in September, but 

 it is not until October and during November that the 

 southern passage of limited numbers is observed. 



Asiatic Skylark, Alauda cinerea {Alauda arvensis 

 cinerea). — An example of this Asiatic race of the skylark 

 was killed at the lantern on 24th February 1906. 

 This form was described by Ehmcke in the Journ. fur 

 Ornithologie in 1903 (p. 149), as Alauda cinerea, and is 

 the Alauda arvensis cinerea of Dr Hartert's Vogel der 

 palaarktischen Fauna (p. 247). This capture well illus- 

 trates the advantage that accrues from a knowledge of 

 racial forms, since it has enabled me to determine whence 

 came this remarkably grey skylark to our shores — a bird 

 that has not hitherto been detected in Europe, except in 

 the Far East. According to Dr Hartert {loc. cit.), it has its 

 home in Western Siberia, Turkestan, Persia, and possibly 

 in Palestine ; and in winter is found on the northern side 

 of the Caucasus, in Egypt, Tunis, and Algeria. I have to 

 thank Mr Rothschild and Dr Hartert for facilities which 



