1921 .] Breeding Birds of Crete. 135 
The Wren was common on Mount Ida at over 4500 feet. 
Full-grown young with their parents were about in parties 
by the middle of June. 
Accentor collaris subalpinus (Brehm). 
A single bird shot is referable to this Balkan race. I only 
saw them at Nidha Cave at 5500 feet. Trevor Battye 
( e Camping in Crete ’) found them common on Mount Ida at 
7500 feet in June. 
Stresemann (Avif. Macedon.) unites this race with the 
typical form. In this I cannot agree; my bird resembles 
others in the Tring Museum from the Balkans, and accords 
well with Hartert’s description (Vog. pal. Fauna, p. 763). 
Hirundo rustica rustica (L.). 
A single breeding male obtained on 8 June. The specimen 
is white below, slightly tinged and blotched with chestnut. 
If the race H. r. boissonneauti Temm. is recognised it may 
belong to it, but I have not had any Balkan specimen with 
which to compare my examples. 
The Swallow is a plentiful breeding bird wherever there 
are human habitations. Three nests found at Gnossos on 
8 June had fresh eggs, hard-set eggs, and half-fledged young. 
Riparia rupestris (Scop.). 
Common at all elevations where caves or rough craggy 
country occurs. 
Apus apus apus (L.). 
Three breeding birds obtained agree with others from 
western Europe, and are not A. a, marwitzi or A. a. 
pekinensis. 
Swifts were breeding abundantly at Candia and on all the 
small coastal islands off Candia. A few were seen in com¬ 
pany with Apus melba on the summit of Mount Ida on 
23 June, but I doubt whether they were up there for any 
other purpose but food. 
Apus melba melba (L.). 
A common breeding species in the hills and on Dia Island 
off Candia. Three obtained are typical. 
