300 



8 



of barns or outhouses, or under the eaves, or else on a convenient beam. The nest itself is 

 constructed of dried grasses intermixed with fine roots, and lined with hair and wool or a few 

 feathers, is usually somewhat bulky, but is tolerably neatly constructed. The number of eggs is 

 usually from four to five ; they are almost always pure white in colour, sometimes with a faint 

 bluish green tinge ; and I have seen five eggs in the possession of Mr. Sachse, taken by him at 

 Altenkirchen on the 5th May, 1873, which are minutely spotted with brown, three of them 

 having a distinct zone of spots round the larger end. Mr. Passler also states (J. f. O. 1859, 

 p. 100) that he found a clutch of eggs similarly coloured. Mr. Carl Sachse informs me that 

 '■ near Altenkirchen it breeds numerously, almost invariably nesting in or near buildings, or in 

 the walls round them, and always raises two broods in the season. In 1862 a pair built under a 

 waggon at the railway station of Au, on the Deutz railway, near here ; and although the waggon 

 was used daily to fetch goods from the goods station, about 250 yards distant, they brought up 

 their brood in safety. For years a pair have nested in my house ; and I have had abundant 

 opportunities of watching them, and observed that when the old birds carried the droppings of 

 their young from their nests they flew 70 to 80 paces before dropping them. A nest which is 

 placed on a covered balcony is at least 30 centimetres high, as the birds have added to it every 

 year. It is, however, never used for the second brood." He further informs me that he once 

 knew it to breed four times in one season. After the first brood had flown he took two clutches 

 of eggs, four in each clutch ; and the female again laid, hatched and reared her young success- 

 fully. He remarks that it has a peculiar predilection for a new building, and so soon as one is 

 erected a pair of Black Redstarts are sure to enter into possession of the most convenient cranny 

 or nook. Mr. Sachse says that he has taken eggs from the 26th of April to the 5th of June. I 

 have several clutches of eggs taken by him, and several from Eastern Germany, all of which are 

 pure white in colour, and in size measure from f^ by f^ to f by ff inch. 



The specimens figured are an adult male and an adult female, they being those described, 

 full particulars as to locality being given above. 



In the preparation of the above article I have examined the following specimens : — 



E Mus. II. E. Dresser. 



a, ?. Plymouth 18G9 (/. Gatcombe) . b, 6 . South France, May 1808 (Fairmaire) . c, d , d, 6 , e, 2 . Alten- 

 kirchen, Rhenish Prussia (C. Sachse). f, ? . Silesia (Moschler). g,6. Biskra, Algeria (Verreaux). 

 h, $ . Buyukdere, Turkey, November 6th, 1871 (Robson). i, juv., k, juv. Altenkirchen (C. Sachse). 

 I, pullus. Altenkirchen, May 21st, 1874 (H. E. D.). m,juv. Westphalia (Schliiter) . 



E Mus. Berol. 



a, juv. Nubia {Hemprich £$ Ehrenberg) . 



E Mus. hid. Cale. 

 a, tf . Khisht, 1800 feet high, January 1870 (W. T. Blanford). 



E Mus. Howard Saunders. 



n,b,<s . Savoy, c, 2 . Usern. d, e, d (March) ; /, d (September) ; g, 2 (January). Malaga (H. S.). h, s juv. 

 Seville, January 28th. i, d . Tangier. 



