Major J. Biddulph on the Birds of Gilyit. ^77 



the breeding-stages, to the S. hendersoni type of autumn. 

 Two specimens, of 27th April and 23rd May, show a few faint 

 brown specks on the back and head. Four specimens, of 

 18th, 21st, and 25th July, have the freshly moulted secon- 

 daries and wing-coverts broadly margined with pale rufes- 

 cent, and the head much iufuscated. Atigust specimens have 

 nearly reached the hendersoni stage, but still retain a certain 

 amount of black on the back. No specimen was procured 

 after July of the accepted morio black-and-white type. 



The females vary considerably in the colour of the lower 

 throat, which, however, does not appear to be connected with 

 the season ; it may possibly be a question of age, birds of the 

 second year becoming very dark. 



I took a nest of this Chat in Astor on the 26th June, at an 

 elevation of 7000 feet, containing five hard-set eggs. It was 

 placed, about a foot deep, in a wall of loose stones supporting 

 a built-up road on the mountain-side, over which was constant 

 traffic. The eggs were very pale blue, with small dusky-red 

 freckles thinly scattered over the surface, slightly tending 

 towards a zone at the thicker end, and measured "725 inch 

 in length by '565 in diameter. 



78. Saxicola vittata, Hempr. & Ehr. 

 I procured one specimen, an adult male, in Gilgit on the 

 4th June. Three others were seen at the same time. 



82. RuTiciLLA RUFivENTRis, Vieill. 



I procured a specimen as late as 27th November. It ap- 

 parently breeds on the Shandur plateau, whence I received 

 an immature specimen in Augiist. 



84. RuTIClLLA ERYTHRONOTA, EvCrSm. 



A female of this bird was, by mistake, passed as R. hodgsoni, 

 which it much resembles, in my former paper (Ibis, 1881, 

 p. 62). After noting the specimen I mislaid it, and was 

 unable to put my hand on it again. It has since turned up, 

 and proves to belong to this species. It is to be distinguished 

 from R. hodgsoni by the double wing-bar and conspicuous 

 pale edgings to the secondaries. R. hodgsoni, which is 



