256 FEINGTLLID^:. 



793. Emberiza stewarti. The White-capped Bunting. 



xii, p. 547 ; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 200 ; Oates in Hume's N. fy E. 

 2nd ed. ii, p. 167. 

 Citrinella stewarti (Blyth), Hume, N. fy E. p. 465. 



Coloration. Male. After the autumn moult the forehead, crown, 

 nape, and ear-coverts are grey, with brownish tips to the feathers ; 

 a broad black supercilium, each feather tipped with grey ; the whole 

 upper plumage and scapulars chestnut with pale fulvous margins 

 to the feathers ; lesser and median wing-coverts dull chestnut, edged 

 paler ; greater coverts and quills dark brown, edged with rufous ; 

 tail brown margined with rufous, the two outer pairs of feathers 

 almost entirely white, the bases and the shafts with a narrow por- 

 tion of the outer webs only being brown ; chin and upper throat, 

 produced laterally down the sides of the lower throat, black, each 

 feather margined with whitish ; lower throat and fore neck white ; 

 breast chestnut, margined with white ; remaining lower plumage 

 pale fulvous, the sides of the head streaked or blotched with 

 rufous. 



In spring the margins and tips to the feathers of the crown, 

 supercilium, upper plumage in general, chin, throat, and lower breast 

 disappear in part or wholly by abrasion, leaving each part entirely of 

 one colour or nearly so. 



Female. Forehead, crown, nape, hind neck, back, and scapulars 

 ashy brown, streaked with blackish, the scapulars tinged with 

 chestnut ; rump and upper tail-coverts chestnut, with paler edges 

 and blackish shafts ; tail as in the male, but with rather less white 

 on the two outer pairs of feathers ; wings brown, each feather 

 margined with pale rufous or fulvous ; lores and round the eye 

 fulvous ; ear-coverts and sides of the neck brown ; lower plumage 

 pale fulvous streaked with brown. 

 The young resemble the female. 



Bill brown, paler on lower mandible ; iris slightly reddish brown ; 

 legs and feet pinkish fleshy ; claws pale brown {Hume). 



Length about 6*5 ; tail 3 ; wing 3*3 ; tarsus -75 ; bill from 

 gape *4. 



Distribution. The Himalayas from the Hazdra country, Gilgit, and 

 Kashmir to about Almora ; the Punjab, Sind, Rajputana, and the 

 N.W. Provinces as far east as Etawah. This species is found in the 

 plains on the lower ranges of the Himalayas in winter only and on 

 the higher parts of the latter (up to 6000 or 8000 feet) in summer. 

 It extends into Afghanistan. 



Habits, SjC. Breeds in June and July, constructing a deep cup- 

 shaped nest, of fibres and grass, in low bushes, or on the ground by 

 the side of a road or bank. The eggs, usually four in number, are 

 white mottled with purple, and measure about '78 by *59. 



