198 MUscu'AriD.E. 



13. Pratincola albifasciata.* 



Saxicola albofasciata, Biipp. Sijst. Uibos. p. 39, Taf. IG ; Gu&in et 



Lafr. in Ferr. et GaUn. Voy. Abyss, iii. p. 217, pi. 12; Gray, Gen. 



B.'i. p. 179 

 Parus leucopterus, Lefehvre, Voy. Abyss, p. 1G7 (nee Stcains.). 

 Dromolfea albofasciata, Up. Consp. i. p. 303. 

 Pratincola melauoleuca, Heugl. Sysf. Uebers. p. 27, no 2-^4 (descr. 



nulla; nee Hochjs.). 

 Pratincola seniitorquata, Heitql. J. f. O. 1869, p. IGG ; Blanf. Geol. 



^- Zool Abyss, p. 365, pL 5; 'lieugl. Orn. N.O.-Afr. p. 341; 



Finsch, Tr. Z. S. vii. p. 323. 



Adult male in hreeding-plumaf/e {P. semitorquata , Heugl.). General 

 colour above jet-black, the rump-feathers tipped with white, the 

 upper tail-coverts pure white ; tail black ; wings black, the quills 

 browner at their ends ; a large white wing-patch, formed by the 

 innermost median and greater coverts and the bases to the inner- 

 most secondaries, the adjacent median and greater coverts being 

 white, with more or less black towards the tip of the outer web ; 

 sides of face, throat, and breast black, relieved by a large patch of 

 white at the sides of the neck, which joins a second patch on the 

 sides of the lower throat ; entire abdomen and iinder tail-coverts 

 white ; thighs black : under wing-coverts and axillaries black ; 

 quills black below, browner along the edge of the inner web ; " bill 

 and feet black ; iris dusky " {Heuglin). Total length 4-9 inches, 

 culmen 0-5, wing 2-65, tail 2, tarsus 0-85. 



Adult male in winter plumacje (S. alhifasciata, lliipp.). Differs 

 only from the summer dress in having the feathers of the upper 

 surface and the feathers of the breast edged with rufous-brown. 



Adult female. General colour above dark brown, all the feathers 

 edged with dark sandy brown, producing a mottled appearance ; the 

 head darker than the back ; upper tail-coverts white ; tail-feathers 

 blackish brown ; wing-coverts and quills dark brown, edged and 

 tipped with sandy brown, the wing-patch smaller than in the male, 

 many of the feathers being brown on the inner web ; lores and 

 feathers round the eye dark sandy buff; ear-coverts dark brown, 

 edged with sandy brown ; cheeks and throat sandy buff, lower 

 throat and breast dark orange-rufous, the sides of the body also 

 slightly washed with this colour ; centre of body, abdomen, and 

 under tail-coverts sandy fulvous ; under wing-coverts dark brown, 

 the axillaries sandy rufous with dusky bases ; quills dark brown 

 below, dull whitish along the inner web. Total length -l-o inches, 

 culmen 0-45, wing 2-65, tail 1*8, tarsus 0-8. 



Hah. Mountains of Abyssinia. 



* That P. semitorqiiaia is only the adult breeding-plumage of P. albofasciata 

 is proved by a comparison of one of the typical specimens of the latter bird in 

 the Museum with the birds fifrured by Mr. Blanford (I. c). Some mistake 

 seems to have occurred in tjje figure given in Dr. Eiippell's work, where the 

 white neck-spot has become merged in the white wing-band, wldch is repre- 

 sented as much too extensive ; this may be seen by a comparison of the plates 

 in the above-mentioned works. 



