76 



ochreous ; secondaries ochreous on the inner web, and black on the outer web, slightly margined with 

 ochreous ; wing-coverts sandy ochreous, spotted with black along the edge of the wing, the larger 

 coverts terminated with deep fox-red, almost chestnut ; tail-coverts, and central rectrices on the basal 

 portion, warm ochreous marked with blue-grey, the central rectrices very much elongated and attenuated, 

 the terminal portion being blackish ; remaining rectrices dark slate-grey, broadly tipped with white, and 

 marked with warm ochreous on the margin of the inner web ; chin pale yellowish ; upper throat golden- 

 orange ; rest of the underparts delicate dove-buff with a grey tinge, fading to dull white on the lower 

 abdomen ; across the centre of the body is a broad black band, and the upper breast is crossed by a band 

 formed by the tips of the feathers being barred with black ; under tail-coverts black, slightly varied 

 with warm ochreous, and very broadly margined with white ; bill pale horn-colour ; iris dark brown ; 

 legs and feet covered with short, buffy white- feathers. Total length about 15 inches, culmen - 5, 

 wing 9 - 0, first primary extending 1 - 1 beyond the second, tail 7'6, central rectrices extending 36 beyond 

 the rest, tarsus 1 - 1. 



Adult Female (Cologne) . Differs from the male in lacking the yellow and orange colour on the head and 

 neck, the crown and nape being striated with black ; the upper parts are more varied with black ; the 

 wing-coverts are spotted with black ; the first primary and central rectrices are much less elongated 

 than in the male ; the underparts are duller and greyer ; the upper throat crossed by a black band ; the 

 sides of the upper breast and neck are boldly spotted with black. 



Young Male (Tientsin). Differs from the old male in having the yellow on the head duller, the crown 

 marked with black ; the upper parts marked more as in the female ; the sides of the neck spotted with 

 black, and the band across the lower throat wanting. 



An inhabitant of the Asiatic steppes, and found as far east as China, the present species has been 

 met with as a straggler in many parts of Europe. Professor Newton, in his comprehensive 

 article on the irruption of this species in 1863 (Ibis, 1864, pp. 185-222), gives details of 148 

 instances of its occurrence in that year, and estimates that the invading host which then visited 

 Europe could not well have numbered less than 700 individuals. Previous to 1863 it was 

 scarcely known as a European bird. Moschler (Naumannia, hi. p. 305) first recorded it as being 

 found in Europe, and included it in a list of the birds occurring at Sarepta, on the Lower Volga ; 

 and in 1859 several examples were obtained. One was obtained at Walpole St. Peter's, in 

 Norfolk, early in July ; a second near Tremadoc, in Wales, on the 9th of that month ; a third 

 near Hobro, in Jutland, on the 23rd of July; and a fourth near Landvoort, in Holland. 

 Besides these, Professor Newton (I. c.) states that one was obtained at New Romney, in Kent, 

 in November 1859 ; and in May, in the same year, a pair are stated to have been killed in 

 the Wilna Government, in Russia. 



As Professor Newton has gone into such close details in his article above quoted, I need 

 only name the different localities enumerated by him where it was met with in 1863, and refer, 

 to his paper for fuller details. The largest number appear to have been recorded from England ; 

 in Norfolk and Suffolk alone about seventy specimens were obtained. The localities in 

 England enumerated by Professor Newton are Waxham, Winterton, Kessingland, Horsey, 

 Breydon, Thorpe, Alderton, Sizewell, Sherringham, Morston, Mersea, Dungeness, Lydd, Elmley, 

 Croxton, Elveden, Wangford, Holme, Methwold, Bexhill, Fordham, Pevensey, Eastbourne, Saffron 

 Walden, Saltfleet, Alford, Swaffham Prior, Leake, Cottenham, Oakington, Barrington, Forest 



