Capt. R. C. Beavaii on various Indian Birds. 451 



492. Saxicola deserti. Black-throated Wheatear. 



This is perhaps the most abundant Wheatear about Umballah, 

 and I secured a large series of specimens of the male. The 

 females, however, of this as well as other species of Saxicola 

 seemed uncommonly scarce. Of this I only got two — one at 

 Umballah, the other at Morar. 



Length. Wing. Tail. Tarsus. Bill. Gape. Spread foot. Extent. 



Nov.8.*(^ 7 3-7 2-75 1-0625 -5625 -87 1-375 11-45 



Nov. 10.* Male in partially changing plumage, with white edgings to black 

 throat, 



6-5 3-75 2-625 1 -5625 -8125 



Nov. 10. $ *6-25 3-63 25 1 -5 -8125 



Deceit 6-5 3-75 25 1 



„ $t Q-'SIb 3-625 2-5 1 



The female is much like S. oenanthe in winter plumage, but is 

 of course smaller. The species, when disturbed, frequently sits 

 on low acacia bushes ; and one I had followed up took refuge in 

 a peepul tree, on the lower bough of which I shot it. The female 

 differs from S. oenanthe in having the rump and upper tail-coverts 

 more fulvous, the throat and sides of the neck more ashy, and 

 wants the white tip to the tail (which is peculiar to the latter) 

 both above and below. It is also considerably smaller, and 

 weighs less. The males of S. deserti found at Morar seemed to 

 me to have a larger and whiter supercilium than Umballah speci- 

 mens, and to want the white edgings to the black feathers of 

 the throat. Mr. Gould figures this species as Saxicola atrogularis, 

 Blyth [vide supra, p. 15) ; but my specimens when freshly killed 

 are more like Mr. Gould's previous figure of S. montana in co- 

 louring. 



Nov. 14th, 1866. Dr. Scott and I went out to Lallroo this 

 morning, a spot on the Simla road, eight miles north-west of 

 Umballah, and came across and secured several Saxicolce — six 

 males and one female of S. deserti, a pair of S. leucomela, and one 

 S. oenanthe. Of the latter I have hitherto seen only the plain- 

 plumaged bird : of four specimens, only one turns out to be a 

 male, and it does not apparently differ a bit from the rest in 



* Umballah specimens. \ Morar specimens. 



2 H 2 



