PRUNELLA.
Characters as in Order.
Nest in clefts of rocks or in bushes ; eggs greenish blue ; are granivorous as well as insectivorous.
Prunella collaris collaris (Scopoli). ALPINE ACCENTOR. Fr. Fauvette des Alpes ; Ger. Alpenbraunelle ; Ital. Sordone.
d ? adult. Above grey brown with darker striations, faint on rump and upper tail coverts, wing coverts with white tips, scapulars and quills with rufous margins ; throat white, tipped dark grey ; upper breast brownish grey, abdomen lighter, sides of lower breast and flanks chestnut with white edges. Bill brownish black, yellow at base below. Legs and feet red brown. Wing 1o3-ioS, 9 95-103 (H.). Tarsus 23-27. Bill 10-12.
Breeds.—Alpine regions of C. and S. Europe, but not S.E. Europe or Caucasus. Winters in plains and valleys. Rare visitor to Britain, Heligoland, Belgium.
P. collaris subalpina (Brehm). Above grey without brown tinge, chestnut beneath paler and more restricted to flanks.
Breeds.—Balkan Peninsula, Dalmatia and Bosnia to Greece and Crete.
P. collaris caucasica (Tschusi). Like "subalpina" but redder above, rump and upper tail coverts not striated, flanks as in " collaris." Breeds.—Caucasus and Asia Minor. Occurs in winter S.W. Persia.
Prunella montanella (Pallas).
6 9 Crown and face black, back dark red brown, rump and tail olive brown ; supercilium, throat and underparts dark ochreous buff with black bases and purple brown streaks on flanks ; a grey spot on sides of neck. Bill blackish brown. Legs and feet flesh colour. Wing d 75-78, 9 70-72. Tarsus 19-21. Culmen 13.5-15 (H.).
Breeds.—Mountains of Central Asia and \V. Siberia from Urals eastwards. Occasional in Europe in Ural Mountains, and on passage in Crimea ; has occurred Italy and Austria.
Prunella atrigularis (Brandt).
6 9 Upper parts ashy brown with dark stripes, head and throat black, supercilium white, chest and flanks ochreous, the latter striped brown, abdomen white. In autumn, black of throat obscured by ochreous tips. Bill dark horn. Legs and
feet brown. Wing 6 72-75, 9 69.5-71.5 (It).
Preeds.—Central Asia. Occurs E. Russia (Orenburg) on passage and in winter.
Prunella modularis modularis (L.). HEDGE-SPARROW. Fr. Mouchet ; Ger. Heckenbraunelle ; Ihrl. Passera scopaiola ; Swed. Jernsparf.
? Above red brown, greyer on crown, dark spots on head, scapulars and back ; rump, upper tail coverts and vent olive brown ; beneath grey, flanks browner with dark striations ; 2nd primary longer than 7th by at least 2-4 m.m. Bill black brown, paler below at base. Legs and feet light brown. Wing ? 65-7o. Tarsus 19-21. Bill 9-1o.
Preeds.—Continental Europe to about N. ; east to Urals, south to N. Spain, Mountains of Italy, Corsica, Sardinia ; also Asia Minor. Partial migrant ; occurs on passage British Isles. Rare in N.W. Africa.
P. modularis occidentalis (Hartert). Throat and breast darker, flanks darker, striations less conspicuous ; 2nd primary equal to or 1-2 m.m. longer than 7th. Bill stouter.
Breeds.—British Isles. Mostly resident, some migrate.
P. modularis obscura Tratz. Almost uniform deep dark brown on crown and nape ; back darker than in " modularis," resembling "occidentalis," but underparts paler than latter form ; wing as in "occidentalis" ; bill shorter.
Breeds.—N. Portugal.
" P. m. mabbotti " Harper has been described from E. Pyrenees ; greyer than "modularis" and "occidentalis," 2nd primary equal to 7th ; but its status is very doubtful, as is that of " occidentalis " and "obscura," the wing distinction being not constant.
P. modularis orientalis (Sharpe). Crown less grey than in "modularis," more uniform with back ; underparts browner with paler margins, giving a scale-like appearance on breast. Wing formula as in "occidentalis." Bill as in "modularis." Breeds.—S. Caucasus and Transcaucasia.