NOTES ON THE BIRDS OF AMBALA DISTRICT, PUNJAB. 677 



610. Tho Indian Bush-chat — Pinlincola mavra (Palh) 



Connnou during the winter from Isovoniber onwards ; then- 

 was a very noticeable " rush " on migration through Ambala 

 about the 14th and l^Hh April. The species doTibtless breeds 

 at Kasauli where 1 saw many from the Cth to 9th March. 



Beavan records a specimen procured at Ambala on 22nd 

 October 1866. 



613. " Hodgson's Bush-chat — Pratincola tnsf'ynz's (Hodgs.) 



Beavan: states " a specimen procured at Lallroo near 



Ambala, on the 14th of November 1866 agrees with Dr. 



Jeniou's description in having a conspicuous white-throat 



upper-tail coverts patch on tcrtials, and at the base of the pri- 

 mal ies." Its description is given at length, but this record 

 does not appear in the Fauna of India birds, Vol. J I, so the 

 author would seem to have overlooked or discredited it. 



615. The Dark-grey Bush-chat — Oreicola ferrea (Hodgs.) 



A winter visitor in small numbers to the plains. On January 

 11th i shot a female which had been haunting the District Board 

 garden since 26th December, and on February 8th I shot a 

 male whici had been about the jail garden since 14th January. 

 Males were also seen at Kamalpur on loth December, and at 

 Mani Majra on 21st December. 



618*. The Pied Ch-At—Sa.ricnin picata, Plyth. 



A male was observed at Chandighar on 10th November, and 

 another waf haunting my garden and verandah from 14th to 

 the I' 1st of that month. 



Beavan says; " I obtained a male at Ambala, October 23rd 

 1866, near the race course, and the next day a female in the 

 same place." 



619". The White-headed Chat — Saricola capistrafn, Gould. 



Beavan states : " 1 procured some specimens at Ambala in 

 November lf^66 " and goes on to say that a male and female shot 

 on 14th November at Lallroo were the only two of the species 

 seen that <lay, though other chats were not uncommon. 



620*. Strickland's Chat — liaxicola opistfio/euca, Strickl. 



Several were observed on different dates between 10th 

 December and March 20th, but only at Kupar and Ambala. 



Beavan states : " Ambala, November I2th, 1866. — I obtained a 

 fine male in Cantonments, near the race course." 



625*. The Isabelline Chat — Saxicola imbcUiva, Cretz. 



Beavan evidently refers to this species under the name of 

 S. (enanthe when he says " all the specimens of this species pro- 

 cured in the cold weather of 1866 at Ambala .... were in the 

 duU winter plumage. ... a common species at Ambala. . . .in the 

 cold weather only". He obtained specimens on October 24tb, 

 November lOth and 14th. 



626*. The Desert Chat — Sa.ricola deserti, Temm. 



Beavan states : " This is perhaps the most abundant wheatear 

 about Ambala " and gives details of specimens obtained on 

 Novt-mber 8th and lOth at Ambala. and on November 14th 

 1866 near Lallroo ; on the last date in company with Dr. 

 Scott he obtained six males and a female. 



