ing to Mr. Gray, it is sparingly met with in Ayrshire, Renfrewshire
and Dumbartonshire, and it extends to the middle
of Afgyleshire. I t also occurs in the three Lothians, and
Mr. J. Murray informs Mr. More that it breeds regularly in
Stirlingshire. Dr. Saxhy has found it in Shetland on several
occasions.
On the Continent it visits Norway, and, according to Herr
Collett, is pretty common as far as Trondlijem, hut does not go
beyond lat. 65° N. In Sweden its range is much the same as
that of the last species. From information kindly supplied
by Dr. Malmgren it appears to reach about the same parallel
in Finland, and it Avas often found by Herr Meves in northwestern
Russia. I t Avas obtained on the mountains of
Sajansk by Dr. Stubendorff, and is mentioned byEversmann
and Karelin as having been killed near Tunka in Western
Siberia. We may infer that it occurs throughout the
southern part of that extensive country, since Père David
states that it is common at Ordo on the northern limits of
the Chinese Empire ; according to Mr. SAvinhoe, hoAvever, it
is very rare at Pekin. I t has long been knoAvn to the ornithologists
of India as visiting the greater part of that country
in the cold weather, and Mr. Brooks thinks that it may
even breed at Almorah. Returning westward Mr. Blanford
observed it throughout Persia. In Palestine it is said to
occur only as a spring-migrant, and Dr. von Heuglin states
that it is pretty common on its double passage through Arabia
and Egypt, Avintering in Nubia, Abyssinia and Kordofan.
It is also found in North Africa, being a winter-visitant to
the oases of the Algerian Sahara, but its southern and
Avestern limits are there unrecorded. Mr. Saunders says
that it is abundant, though it does not breed, in Southern
Spain ; hut in Portugal it is said to occur in summer. In
all the rest of Europe it is knoAvn as a bird more or less
plentiful during the breeding-season.
In t h e a d u l t m a l e t h e b i l l i s n e a r l y b l a c k ; t h e base of t h e
loA v e r m a n d i b l e y e l l o A v i s h - b r o w n : t h e i r i d e s y e l l o w i s h -A v h i t e ,
o r i n v e r y o l d b i r d s p e a r l -A v h i t e : t h e h e a d , neck a n d h a c k ,
s m o k e - g r e y ; t h e e a r - c o v e r t s almost b l a c k ; A v i n g - q u i l l s b l a c k -
LESSER WHITE THROAT. 413
ish -b row n , th e t e r tia ls e d g ed w ith w h itis h -g r e y ; ta il-q u ills
b la c k ish -b row n , e x c e p t th e o u te r f e a th e r o n e a c h s id e , w h ic h
is w h itis h -g re y a n d is n e a r ly a s lo n g a s th e r e s t ; c h in , th r o a t,
b re a s t a n d b e lly , n e a r ly p u r e Avhite, th e l a s t tin g e d w ith r e d
as fa r a s th e v e n t ; s id e s a n d fla n k s tin g e d Avith g r e y ; w in g s
a n d ta il b e n e a th , g re y : le g s , to e s a n d claAvs, le a d co lo u r.
T h e AAdiole l e n g th is fi.ve in c h e s a n d a q u a r te r . F rom th e
carp a l jo in t to th e tip o f th e w in g , two in c h e s a n d five-
e ig h th s ; th e se co n d a n d f ifth p r im a r ie s n e a r ly e q u a l, b u t
s h o rte r th a n th e f o u r th : th e o u te r web o f th e fo u rth a n d fifth
su d d e n ly b e com e s n a r row n e a r th e tip . T h e ta il is n e a r ly
even.
T h e f e m a l e i s n o t q u i t e s o l a r g e a s t h e m a l e ; t h e h e a d
a n d n e c k a r e t i n g e d w i t h b roA v n , t h e e a r - c o v e r t s a r e n o t s o
d a r k , a n d t h e w h i t e o f t h e loAver p a r t s i s c l o u d e d w i t h g r e y .
T h e y o u n g re s em b le th e fem a le , a n d h a v e th e ir id e s red -
d ish -h a z e l.
P ro fe s so r S u n d e v a ll s ta te s t h a t b o th th i s a n d th e p re c e d in g
species h a v e a d o u b le m o u lt. W h a t m a y b e th e c a se w ith th e
o th e rs of th e g e n u s Ave h a v e s t ill to le a rn .
T h e v ig n e tte r e p r e s e n ts th e L e s s e r W h i t e th r o a t ’s n e s t.
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