SAXICOLA. 73 



is nothing but S. morio or 8. hendersoni, and consequently there 

 are now no grounds for stating that 8. cajoistrata occurs in Turk- 

 estan. 



Habits, SfC. Nothing is known of the nidification of this species. 



620. Saxicola opistholeuca. Strickland's Chat. 



Saxicola opistholeuca, Striclcl., Jard. Contr. Orn. 1849, p. 60 ; Blyth, 

 Cat. -p. 167; Blanf. 8f Dresser, P.Z.S. 1874, p. 229: Butler $ 

 Hume, S. F. iii, p. 475 ; Hume, Cat. no. 488 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. 

 M. v, p. 376; Biddulph, Ibis, 1881, p. 55 ; Scully, Ibis, 1881. 

 p. 441 : Biddulph. Ibis, 1882, p. 27(5 : Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 201. 



Saxicola leucoroides, GuSrin, apvd Jerd. B. I. ii, p. 130. 

 The India?! White-tailed Stone-Chat, Jerd. 



Coloration. Male. The whole plumage black except the rump 

 and upper and under tail-coverts ; tail white, except the terminal 

 half of the middle pair of feathers and a broad band at the tip of 

 the others, which are black. There appears to be no seasonal 

 change of plumage. 



Female. Eesembles the females of 8. picata and 8. capistrata in 

 general colour, but is very dusky throughout and has the ear- 

 coverts a rich brown. 



Bill, legs, and feet black ; iris dark brown (Bine/ham). 



Length about 6-5 ; tail 2-7 ; wing 3-6 ; tarsus 1 ; bill from 

 gape -75. 



Distribution. A winter visitor to the plains of India from the 

 Punjab down to Khandesh and Nagpur, and from Sind to Etawah 

 in the N."W. Provinces. This species extends to Afghanistan in 

 the winter. It passes through Gilgit in the spring aud autumn, 

 and summers in Turkestan. In addition to the above localities in 

 the plains, it has been recorded by Stoliczka from the lower hills 

 of the Sutlej valley. 



621. Saxicola pleschanka *. The Siberian Chat. 



Motacilla pleschanka, Lepeeh, Nov. Com. Petr. xiv, p. 503, pi. xiv, 



fig. 2 (1770). 

 Motacilla leucomela, Pall. Nov. Com. Petr. xiv, p. 584, pi. xxii,fig. 3 



(1770). 

 Saxicola morio, Hempr. et Ehr. Synth. Phys. fol. aa (1833) ; Blanf. 



8f Dresser, P. Z. S. 1874, p. 225 (part.) ; Wardlaw Ramsay, Ibis, 



1880, p. 55 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. M. v, p. 372 ; Biddulph, Ibis, 1881, 



p. 58; Scully, Ibis, 1881, p. 443 : Biddulph, Ibis, 1882, p. 276. 

 Saxicola hendersoni, Hume, Ibis, 1871, p. 408 ; Hume Sf Holders. 



Luh. to York. p. 206, pi. xiii ; Hume, S. F. ii, p. 520 ; Scully, S. 



F. iv, p. 144 ; Hume, Cat, no. 492 bis ; id. S. F. ix, p. 326 note. 

 Saxicola pleschanka (Lep.), Oates in Humes N. SfE. 2nd ed. ii, p. 53. 



* As the names leucomela and morio have been frequently misapplied, espe- 

 cially by Indian ornithologists, it is a matter for congratulation that Lepechiu's 

 name is available for this species. 



