SAXICOLA, 141 



breast and sides of body paler orange buft*; the centre of the abdomen 

 buffy white ; under wing-coverts and axillaries pale sandy buff with 

 dusky bases ; quills brown below, whitish along the edge of the inner 

 web ; bill and feet brownish black; ii'ides brown." — SJiarpe, Cat. B, M, 



Length. — 5 inches, wing 2"6, tail 2, bill at front 0'5. 



Hab. — India and Burmah ; N. W. Himalayas, Sind, Punjab, at 

 Mooltan, and the Gangetic Valley, where Jerdon states he found it most 

 abundant from Rajmahal to Monghyr, frequenting fields aad longr 

 grasses. It winters in Sind and Punjab. 



Pratincola caprata, Linn. S. Nat. ]. p. 325. CEnanthe caprata 

 ViclL N. Diet. xxi. p. 433. Saxicola bicolor, Sykes, P. Z. S. 1832 

 p. 92. Pratincola caprata, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xvi. p. 129; Bp. Consp 

 i. p. 305; Jerd. B. hid. ii. p. 123, No. 481; Hxime, Str. F. 1873, pp 

 182, 379; 1874, pp. 413, 477; 1875, p. 134; 1877, p. 229; 187G,p. 259 

 Str. F. 1875, p. 238; Blanfd. Eastern Persia, p. 144; Murray, Hdhk. 

 ZooL, ^c.y Sind, -p. 145. Pratincola atrata, Blyt'h, J. A. 8. B. xx.p. 177 

 Jerd. B. Ind. ii. p. 124, No, 482. Pratincola bicolor, Hume, Nest and 

 Eggs, Ind. B. p. 314. — The White-winged Black Robin. 



Adult Male. — Head, neck all round, thi'oat, breast, sides of the 

 face, back, wings, tail and entire under surface black ; under wing- 

 coverts black ; vent, under tail-coverts, rump, upper tail-coverts and 

 wing patch white ; some of the feathers of the lower abdomen very 

 slightly edged with white. The young male is dark brown, the feathers 

 of the upper and lower surface with brownish edgings ; the quills dark 

 brown with whitish tips, and the lower abdomen, vent and upper tail- 

 coverts, as well as the wing patch, white. The female is dusky brown, 

 the feathers edged pale, and with dark centres to the feathers of the 

 head, scapulars and back ; rump and upper tail-coverts rufescent ; tail 

 dark brown, as also are the wing-coverts and quills, but margined with 

 lighter brown ; beneath pale reddish or ochraceous brown, whitish on 

 the throat ; vent and under tail-coverts white, with a slight rufous 

 tinge; bill and legs black ; irides dark brown. 



Length. — 5 to 6*4 inches, wing 2*75, tail 2*1, tarsus 0*8, bill at 

 front 6-45. 



Hah. — India generally, Ceylon, Southern India, Burmah, Java, and 

 Phillipines. In the Indian region it extends to the Himalayas, and 

 is extremely common throughout Sind, the Punjab, Beloochistan, 

 S. E. Persia and S. Afghanistan, at Chaman, Gulistan, Dubrai and 

 Kandahar; also occurs all along the Western Coast, Kutch, Kattiawar, 

 Jodhpore, North Guzerat, the Deccan and Concan. Breeds in Sind 

 during March and April. Eggs usually three, pale greenish white, 

 speckled finely with brown. 



Gen. Saxicola. — Bechst. 



Bill rather flat at base ; nostrils in a membranous groove, opening 

 rounded; wings long; 3rd and 4th quills longest; tail even; outer toe 

 longer than inner. 



