74 turdidjE. 



Coloration. Male. After the autumn moult the feathers at the 

 base of the upper mandible, lores, a narrow line above the eye, 

 sides of the head, chin, and throat black, most of the feathers with 

 fawn-coloured fringes ; forehead, crown, nape, and hind neck 

 greyish brown, with the bases of the feathers white ; a pale buff 

 supercilium ; back, scapulars, and upper rump black, very broadly 

 fringed with rufous, the black being nearly invisible ; lower rump 

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

 thirds of the middle pair of feathers and a band at the tips of the 

 others, which are black ; wings black, all the feathers margined 

 with rufous ; lower plumage from the throat downwards rufous- 

 fawn, deepest on the breast ; under wing-coverts and axillaries 

 black, with very narrow white fringes. In spring and summer 

 the plumage, by a course of abrasion of the tips of the feathers, 

 becomes quite different to that of the autumn and winter. The 

 forehead, crown, nape, and hind neck become pure white; the 

 feathers at the base of the upper mandible, sides of the head, chin, 

 throat, back, scapulars, wings, under wing-coverts, and axillaries 

 uniform deep black ; the remainder of the lower plumage pure 

 white ; the rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail undergo no 

 alteration. 



Female. In the autumn the forehead, crown, nape, hind neck 

 and sides of neck, back, and scapulars are rufous-brown, with 

 narrow paler fringes ; wings dark brown, with broad rufous 

 margins; rump and upper tail-coverts white ; tail as in the male ; a 

 pale rufous supercilium ; ear-coverts darker rufous ; lower plumage 

 rufous-brown, varying in different individuals, darkest on the 

 breast, a few feathers of the breast and flanks with dark streaks ; 

 under wing-coverts and axillaries blackish, with narrow whitish 

 fringes. In spring and summer all the margins to the feathers 

 are lost. The chin, throat, and fore neck become dusky, and the 

 remainder of the lower parts nearly white ; the upper plumage is 

 earthy brown, with a fulvous tinge. 



Bill, legs, and feet black ; iris probably brown. 



Length about 6 ; tail 2-4 ; wing 3*7 ; tarsus -0 ; bill from 

 gape '65 ; second primary longer than sixth. 



A perfectly connected series of this Chat in the British Museum 

 conclusively proves that S. hendersoni is merely the present species 

 in freshly-moulted plumage. 



Distribution. This Chat has a very extensive range, and is 

 migratory, but the materials for tracing its movements are very 

 imperfect. The only part of India in which it occurs is Gilgit 

 and the extreme northern portions of Kashmir, where it is very 

 common throughout the summer and breeds. At this season of 

 the year this species is found in Turkestan and throughout Central 

 Asia to Siberia and Western China. To the west it ranges in 

 summer to Afghanistan, and it is said to breed in Persia and South- 

 eastern Europe. The winter-quarters of this Chat are said to be 

 Abyssinia and Arabia, but I have seen one specimen killed in 

 Crilcrit in December. 



