Letter. G25 



The measurements and soft parts are the same in both 

 forms. As in the case of the two species of Black -throated 

 Chat, the meeting-point of the two species of Bhick-eared 

 Chat is probably, roughly speaking, about the 10th degree 

 of East longitude. From Tunis 1 have both forms, although 

 the Western is by far the commoner of the two ; in fact, out 

 of some 20 specimens in my collection, only one is of the 

 Eastern form. All my specimens from Algeria and Marocco 

 are of the Western form, 



I pi'opose to name this Chat Saxicola catering, sp. nov. 



I also have a Crossbill from Tunis, which I consider 

 sufficiently distinct from Loxia curvirostra to be separated 

 from it as a subspecies, and I therefore propose to name and 

 describe it as follows : — 



Loxia curvirostha poliogyna, subsp. nov. 



Similar to L. curvirostra, but differs from that species in 

 being paler and greyer, this character being more conspicuous 

 in the fen? ale, which is almost entirely grey, and not green 

 or greenish, as is the female of the Common Crossbill. This 

 is a perfectly constant character, as shown by a large series 

 of specimens, all exactly alike. Adult male birds, owing to 

 the colour of their plumage, naturally show the difference 

 less than the females ; but immature males, as well as 

 young birds of the year in the spotted stage of plumage, 

 show it distinctly. The bill is as in L. curvirostra, as are 

 also the measurements generally, and the present bird there- 

 fore can scarcely be Von Homeyer^s L. balearica, whatever 

 that may have been. 



The Tunisian Crossbill is to be found in the woods of 

 Aleppo-pine in the central districts of the Regency, where it 

 is resident and fairly abundant. It -is, no doubt, a good 

 example of a geographical or climatic race, the plumage of 

 birds generally in Tunisia having a tendency to become pale. 



Yours &c., 



J. I, S. Whitaker. 



SER. VII. VOL. IV. 2U 



