2 6 DESERT-WHEATEAR. 



ziun) ; and an adult male in full breeding-plumage, June 23rd 

 1880. The above appear to be the only notices of the occurrence 

 of the Desert-Wheatear in Europe. 



As the name implies, this species is to be found in dry, sandy 

 regions, such as North Africa, Egypt, Nubia, Arabia, Palestine, 

 Persia, Afghanistan, the plains of Turkestan up to an elevation of 

 over 12,000 feet, and the mountain ranges to the north of Kashmir. 

 In winter the bird occurs in North-western India, Scind, Baluchistan, 

 Southern Persia, Somali-land and Abyssinia. Mr. J. H. Gurney 

 describes it as the most universally distributed member of the genus 

 in the Algerian Sahara. 



The nest of the Desert-Wheatear is placed in crevices of rocks, 

 walls of wells, in burrows, or under bushes. The eggs are of a 

 greenish-blue, paler than those of the Black-throated Wheatear, with 

 liver-coloured spots round the larger end : measurements 75 by 

 •5 in. The food appears to be ants and other insects ; the stomach 

 of the bird shot at Alloa contained small flies. In its movements this 

 species is even more restless than the Common Wheatear ; and its 

 song is said to be short and pleasing. The individuals observed by 

 Mr. J. H. Gurney were estimated by him as being in the proportion 

 of about eight in male plumage to one in female dress. 



The male in spring has the crown sandy-grey, shading into buff on 

 the back and lower wing-coverts ; secondaries, brown in the centre, 

 with pale margins ; primaries blackish, with light margins to the 

 inner webs, very conspicuous on the underside ; under wing-coverts 

 and axillaries black tipped with white ; tail-coverts white ; tail black, 

 almost to the base ; under parts white, washed with buff on the 

 breast ; throat and sides of neck to the shoulders black ; a whitish 

 streak above and behind the eye. Bill, legs and feet black ; the 

 latter small for the size of the bird. Length 5*6 in. ; wing to the tip 

 of 3rd and longest quill 3 "6 in. The female is duller and greyer on 

 the upper parts ; the wings are brown, the under surface is buff, and 

 the black throat is absent ; but the large amount of black in the tail 

 is always a feature. The young is like that of S. stapazina, except 

 for its characteristic blackish-brown tail. 



The members of this group are frequently denominated ' Chats,' 

 but I have used the term ' Wheatear ' to emphasize the difference 

 between the longer-tailed, white-rumped species, and the shorter- 

 tailed, streaked-rumped ' Bush-chats ' of the genus Pratincola. 



