Birds of the Province of Constantine. 563 



In order to settle a disputed point between Messrs. Dresser 

 and Blanford on the one hand, and Messrs. Taczanowski and 

 Seebohm on the other, respecting the difference in plumage 

 of the sexes of this species, I shot and very carefully deter- 

 mined the sexes of a pair. The male agrees exactly with 

 Dresser^s plate of Saxicola leucomela, except that the under 

 tail-coverts are not quite so buff. The female agrees with 

 Dresser's plate of S. halophila, Tristram (the S. erytlircBa 

 of Hempr. et Ehr.), which has been rightly identified by 

 Mr. Seebohm in the ' Catalogue of Birds,' vol. v. p. 370, as 

 the female of 8. liigens. 



Saxicola seebohmi, sp. nov. (Plate XIV.) 



General colour of the upper parts clear slate-grey, be- 

 coming a little paler on the head ; forehead and eye-stripe, 

 which extends to the nape, pure white ; wings and wing- 

 coverts nearly black, the secondaries narrowly tipped with 

 pale buff ; rump and upper tail-coverts white ; tail white, 

 except the terminal three fifths of the two centre feathers, 

 and the terminal fifth of the others, which are nearly black, 

 the black on the outer web of the outside feather slightly 

 longer. Lores from the nostrils, chin, and throat black ; 

 rest of the underparts white, slightly washed with pale buff, 

 becoming most pronounced on the breast and under tail- 

 coverts. Axillaries and under wing-coverts black, with pale 

 tips ; inner margins of quills dark brown. Bill, legs, feet, 

 and claws black ; iris dark brown. Wing with the third and 

 fourth primary nearly equal and longest, second primary 

 equal to or slightly longer than the fifth, bastard primary 

 •65 inch. Length of wing 387, tail 2'45, culmen -68, tarsus 

 1-05. 



Nothing is yet known o£ the female of this species, nor of 

 the birds of the year and young in first plumage. 



On the road from Oued Taga, when we were making the 

 ascent of Djcbel Mahmel, and' about midway between those 

 two places, we secured specimens of this novel and interesting 

 Chat. On a small stony plain, almost devoid of vegetation, 

 and at an altitude of 5500 feet, in a climate. similar to early 



