78 



British Birds. 



THE 



BLACK-THROATED 



WHEATEAR. 



(Snxicola stapazina.) 



THE DESERT- 



WHEATEAR. 



{Saxicola deserti.) 



The Isabelline Wheatear is an inhabitant of the desert countries from MongoHa 

 to Arabia and Eastern Africa, and has once been obtained in England, near Allonby 

 in Cumberland, in November, 1887. The bird is said by Mr. Danford to frequent 

 barren grounds, bushy hill-sides and even fir-woods, and to rise into the air and 

 sing. The nest is placed in burrows and resembles that of the Common Wheatear, 

 the eggs being pale greenish blue with occasionally some faintly indicated spots 

 of brown. 



This Chat, which is an inhabitant of Algeria, Spain, and 

 the South of France, has once occurred near Bury, in Lan- 

 cashire, in May, 1S75. It is sandy-rufous in colour, with a 

 white rump, black wings and black under wing-coverts. 

 The latter character will distinguish the female of the Black- 

 throated Wheatear from the hen of Saxicola unanthe. The habits of the species 

 are like those of the other members of the genus, excepting that it frequents rocky 

 localities and builds its nest in the grass under the shelter of a rock or a stone. 

 The eggs are light blue in colour, sprinkled with reddish dots. 



As its name portends, this little Chat comes from the 

 Sahara and other desert countries, ranging from North Africa 

 to Egypt and Palestine, and thence to Central Asia. It has 

 been noticed three times in Heligoland and twice in Great 

 Britain, viz. : — near Alloa in Scotland, in November, 1880 ; and again near 

 Holderness on the 17th of October, 1885. It is a small species, of a bright 

 sandy rufous colour, with the lower rump and upper tail-coverts white, and 

 the wings black, showing a large white patch formed of the inner median 



and greater coverts; the tail is black, 

 with the concealed basal third white : 

 the head is sandy rufous like the 

 back, but the sides of the face and 

 throat are black, and there is a 

 distinct white eyebrow ; the under 

 surface of the bodv is sandy rufous, 

 but the abdomen and centre of the 

 breast are whiter; the under wing- 

 coverts are white and the axillaries are 

 black tipped with white. The female 

 has no black on the face or throat, 

 and the under wing-coverts and 

 axillaries are white, with dusk}- bases. 

 It can be told from the hens of the 

 other Wheatears by the less extent of 

 The Desert-VVhlatear. white on the tail, this being confined 



