n. SAXICOLA. 3(37 



breeding at an elevation of five or six thou«aud feet, aud resorting 

 to the lower valleys in winter. 



«. $ ad. sk. Karman, S.E. Persia, 5800, W. T. Blantbid, Esq. fC 1 



May 10, 1872. ' ^ ^ -" 



h. c5 ad. sk. Naii Xai, Kldrthan rauge, W. T. Blanfoid, Esq. rP.l 

 Scinde, Jan. 9, \t<7Q. 



c. 2 ad. sk. Gaj river, Western Scinde, W. T. Blantbrd, Esq. fP 1 



Dec. 20, 1870. . 1 L J 



Saxicola picata and Saxicola capistrata. 



Between these two forms eveiy iutcnncdiate variety occurs. The 

 extreme forms only differ in the colour of the crown of the head aud 

 nape : in the former it is jet-black, in the latter nearly pure white 

 Hume_ is of opiuion that the white-headed bird is the fully adult 

 bird of the black-headed species. In this opinion Dr. Scully, who 

 during his residence in Gilgit, obtained a magnificent series of 'inter- 

 mediate forms, concurs. Blanford, who also obtained a fine series 

 of intermediate forms in Scinde aud llajputaua, is of opinion that 

 the two forms arc distinct species, aud that the intermediate forms 

 are the immature white-headed birds. The question must, in my 

 opiuion, remain an open one until further facts are collected ; but I 

 think that the balance of evidence points to the conclusion that the 

 two forms are only subspecifically distinct, and that the intermediate 

 forms are fertile hybrids. The facts upon which I base my hypo- 

 thesis are as foUows :— There is no evideuce that one form moults 

 into the other, intermediate forms of every grade occurring in mid- 

 winter. The black-headed form is by far the most numerous ; the 

 intermediate forms are rare : and the white-headed form is said to be 

 still rarer,— which is precisely the case with the Carrion and Hooded 

 Crows and their intermediate forms in the vaUe^- of the Yenesay 

 The geographical distribution of the two forms is almost identical • 

 but it IS suspected that the black-headed form alone occurs in some 

 parf.s of Persia and Baluchistan, and the white-headed form alone 

 in Turkestan. 



3. Saxicola picata. 



Saxicola picata, B/i/f/i, J. A. S. Beng. xvi. p. 1.31 (1847) ; id Cat B 

 Mm. As. Soc. p. 107 (1849) ; Bp. Consp. i. p. .304 (1850) • Horsf. 

 <5- Moore, Cat. B. Mas. E.I. Co. i. p. 287 (1854) ; Jerd. B Ind n 

 p. 131 (1803) ; Gray, Hand-I. B. i. p. 226. no. 3251 (1869) ; Blanf. 

 ^- l^re^ser, P. Z. S. 1874, p. 227 ; Blanf. East. Persia, ii. p. lo3 

 (lo/<>). 

 Dromohea picata {Blijth), Gould, B. Asia, pt. xvii. (1805). 

 Adult mule in breediiKj-phnnafje. Entire head, neck, back, throat 

 axillaries, and under wing-coverts black; nimp and upper tail- 

 coverts, lower breast, and belly white ; quills dark brown slio-htlv 

 paler on the under surface ; under tail-coverts white, more or° less 

 suffused with buff; tail-feathers white, the two central feathers 

 black for the termiiuil half, and the remainder tipped with dark 

 brown from one eighth to half an inch. Bill, legs, feet and claws 



