( 4^9 ) 



the same area. On tbe other hand the darker, more brownish or greyish tinge is 

 evident in all Asiatic sjiecimens, and we tlierefore have to recognize two forms : — 



S. deserti ckserti from Africa (Ijroadly speaking). 



S. deserti atrogularis from Asia (broadly speaking). 



Saxicola " stapazina " and " aurita." 



Under these two names two distinct species have been generally recognized by 

 all ornithologists. The oldest name referring to these birds is Motacilla hispanica 

 Linnaens, Sijst. Nat. ed. x. p. 186 (17o8). It is taken entirely and solely 

 from Edwards, Orn. Nov. i. Taf. 31, where a black-throated specimen {''sfa/jazina" 

 anct.) and a white-throated one (" aurita " auct.) from Gibraltar, both males, were 

 figured and described as male and female of one species. Evidently Edwards and 

 his correspondent were aware that both belonged to one and the same species, but 

 were mistaken in concluding that they were the two sexes. Afterwards the two 

 forms have been looked upon as two different species for more than a century, 

 although now and then an author would remark that the males differed only by a 

 black or white throat, and that the females were alike. Other authors (Dresser and 

 Koenig for example) described individually different females as the true females of 

 the two supposed species, but they were in error. Recently Kleinschmidt has been 

 the first to raise the question of the possible identity of the two forms, and inter- 

 esting notes, showing this to be quite probable, have been published by Schiebel and 

 Othmar Reiser. A careful study of a large material of skins, and personal 

 observations in Algeria together with Mr. Rothschild, have left no doubt for mo 

 that the two supposed species are merely individual varieties. These are well 

 marked, and mostly very constant, as is well known, in the males, while the 

 females have mostly a buff throat, but not infrequently a more or less black 

 throat, as described p. 680 of Vol. I. of my book on the birds of the palaearctic 

 fauna. In the eastern form, S'txicola liinpanica xanthotnel'iena Hempr. & Ehrbg., 

 females with black throats are not at all rare, while in the western one, Saxicola 

 hispanica hispanica (L.), they are not often met with, but Mr. VVitherby has shown 

 me that they exist. 



Phoenicurus erythrogastra. 



lu his book on The Eggs of the Birds of Europe, in " Parts III. and IV.," 

 Mr. Dresser describes for the first time the egg of the Asiatic form of Giildenstiidt's 

 (not Giildenstadt's) Redstart, which was sent to him as coming from Issik-Kul in 

 Turkestan. Mr. Dresser says : "I agree with Dr. Pleske in not separating the eastern 

 form from that inhabiting the C^'aucasus." Mr. Pleske, however, said just the contrary, 

 namely: "An exact comparison of a rather considerable number of Caucasus specimens 

 with a large series of Central Asian birds has convinced me of the correctness of 

 Mr. Lorenz's view of the necessity of separating the two forms as subspecies" 

 (translated from Aves Prxewah/tianae, i. p. 58). Pleske therefore names the bird 

 in question Ruticilla erijtkrogastra var. Ssewerzowi Lorenz. The older name of the 

 Asiatic form is of course Ruticilla grandis (Gould, P.Z.S. 184!). p. 112), and the 

 bird from Central Asia must therefore be called 



Phoenicurus erythrogastra grandis (Gould). 



The differences between the two forms have also been very clearly explained by 

 Dr. Rothschild in Not: Zool. 1897. p. 167. 



