l6o RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 



many islands, and so little water for the Diabeyha. Higher 

 up we did not see any. Among other things I believe they 

 eat locusts, as one was seen to catch a locust by a friend 

 (cf Dresser, B. of E., part XXVII.) Audouin and Savigny 

 say that locusts are the principal food of ^. lencopyga. 



In a large series collected by Mr. Cory between Cairo 

 and Thebes, I did not see any of the white-vented species 

 (S. 7)10 rio, Ehr. ; 6". leiicomela, Jerdon). See Dresser, B. of 

 E., part XXVII. 



70. White-rumped Chat, Saxicola lencopyga, Brehm. 



The granite rocks between Assouan and Philce are a sure 

 find for this species. It is true I did see some further north, 

 and Mr. E. C. Taylor has obtained it at Cairo (Ibis, 1867, 

 p. 59). I found white-headed ones (Saxicola Incomcla, 

 Brehm.) rarer than black-headed, but mottled specimens 

 were frequent. The perch they like is the top of the 

 biggest granite rock they can find ; and though they have an 

 objection to fields, they have none whatever to houses, on 

 which I have seen them. 



71. Stonechat, Saxicola riibicola (Linn.). 



We found the Stonechat common enough in the Delta, 

 and I shot one as far south as Gebel Silsilis, but I never 

 detected Hemprich's Stonechat. Captain Shelley gives as 

 its distinguishing mark, "basal half of the tail white." This 

 is not very apparent in a female in his collection shot at 

 Esne. My Silsilis specimen is such a very light bird that 

 I think it may possibly not be 5. nibicola. Through the 

 kindness of Mr. Sharpe I compared it with a large series at 

 the British Museum, but I was unable to determine it satis- 

 factorily. 



