TURDIDAE— CHATS.
77
and remains till September. In 1888, Mr. Walter Crouch observed
one at Barking-Side as early as March 11th (50. ii. 53).
Mr. Joseph Clarke, writing of the Saffron Walden district in 1845, says (24)
it then bred there occasionally, though not commonly. He notes the occurrence
of a very beautiful white specimen at Newport in May, 1843 ; it was then in the
possession of one Watson, a tailor, there. I saw a pair, probably breeding, at
Saffron Walden, in the beginning of May, 1880. W. D. King describes it (20) as
" not very uncommon " around Sudbury. Lindsey, writing from Harwich in 1851,
says (27. App. 57), it " arrives in great numbers here in spring." Mr. Kerry says
it is now scarce there during the breeding season, but is very common when on
migration. Ed. Doubleday says (15) he had met with it at Epping, meaning
probably when on migration, for his brother wrote on May 19th, 1841 (10), "The
Wheatear never breeds about us," and Mr. Buxton speaks of it (47. 91) as only " a
passing visitor [to Epping Forest] in spring and autumn." Round Orsett, it never
breeds, but is common on migration about the end of March and end of August
(Sackett). In the Paglesham district, Mr. J. F. T. Wiseman informs me that it is
common. Lieut. Legge, writing in 1865, from South Shoebury, says (23. 9837) :—
"This handsome bird is very plentiful [here], frequenting the flat wastes
and uncultivated lands. They build here in the holes between dry sods or
in deserted rabbit burrows. The young birds of the year are very plentiful on
the marshes in August, and may be seen in all directions, perched on some
stone or clod, bowing and cocking their tails."
Mr. Hope has noticed young birds on the coast on June 17th. On Aug. 18th,
1881, Mr. Kerry shot, at Ramsey, a curious variety, having about it a good deal
of white. Mr. J. H. Gurney, junr., who has seen the specimen, pronounces it to
be of this species.
Whinchat: Pratincola rubetra. Locally, "Furzechat."
A regular, though rather local, summer visitor, coming to us about
the middle of April, and leaving again early in October. It is most
commonly seen at the times
of its migration, but is fairly
abundant during summer on
some of our furze-covered
commons, and nests, not
very rarely, in meadows and
cultivated fields throughout
the county.
Henry Doubleday, writing to
Heysham in Nov., 1831, says (10)
that it was then numerous in
Epping Forest, but in Sept.,
1839, he writes (10), it " has been
so remarkably scarce here this whinchat, male, 1/3.
year that I do not think I have seen half a dozen all round this neighbour-
hood." Again, in May, 1843, he wrote (23.222), "Although in former years
one of our most abundant visitors, for the last two or three seasons [it] has
been very scarce. I have not seen more than one or two pairs anywhere in the
neighbourhood this spring." In the Forest, Mr. Buxton now speaks of it (47. 91)