Dr. A. L. Adams on the Birds of Egypt and Nubia. 19 



most common Chat in Nubia, and is familiar in its habits, 

 frequenting villages and ruined buildings along with the last 

 species ; it often flew on board our boat, and picked up crumbs 

 on deck. A few white feathers were found interspersed among 

 the black of the head in one of the female specimens procured 

 in Nubia. I saw it at Thebes, but the bird is not common 

 north of the First Cataract. I cannot account for the circum- 

 stance that, of the three specimens of D. leucopygia I shot in 

 different parts of Nubia, all were females ; and of four of D. 

 leucocephala, all happened to be males. 



Saxicola pallida, Riipp. Atl. t. 3^. fig. a. — P. L. S. 



My specimens (two females) were procured in the Thebaid 

 and in Nubia ; the length of one was 7 inches, the other 6}^ 

 in. This species is not common, at least during the cold 

 months. It frequents the open country, flies at great speed, 

 and was observed catching insects on wing. 



Saxicola lugens, Licht. Doubl. p. 33 : Bp. Consp. p. 303. 



Decreases in numbers southwards, and is not nearly so com- 

 mon in Nubia as in Egypt. The pale russet of the vent is 

 always present in the Egyptian bird ; whereas, in specimens I 

 have examined from the Crimea and in India, the under tail- 

 coverts were white *. Average length of several specimens of 

 both sexes, measured in the flesh, 6^ inches. 



Saxicola deserti, Riipp. — P. L. S. 



This is the common Desert Chat along the margin of culti- 

 vation in Egypt and Nubia. The russet of the upper parts of 

 males was observed to vary in brilliancy, and the black of the 

 throat in some was a good deal tipped with grey. The rump was 

 pale russet in one male specimen procured at Thebes. 



Saxicola (enanthe. 



Females predominate. The Egyptian Wheatears were larger 

 than any I procured at Malta, the plumage a shade lighter, and 

 bill heavier : they seem to agree with var. rostrata-^ of Ehrenberg. 

 I have forwarded specimens J . 



* S. leucomela (Pall.) : Gray, Gen. of Birds, i. p. 1/8. 



+ Ibis, vol. i. p. 39. 



X The specimens forwarded appear to be S. isahelUna, Riipp. — P. L, S. 



c 2 



