248 BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 
Sawicola is abundantly met with throughout Great Namaqua Land, 
and also in the south of Damara Land, especially in the valley of 
Swakop: it is partial to localities which abound in rocks, and is 
fcund throughout the year in the dreariest and most arid spots, but 
never at any great distance from the hills, to which it immediately 
resorts on the least approach of danger. Like the rest of its family, 
this Wheat-ear is constantly moving about, now fluttering its wings, 
then rapidly elevating and depressing its tail, and next all at once 
vibrating in every part of its body with frolic and excitement ; it 
perches on a dry branch, a bush, a stone, or any other spot from 
which it can obtain a clear view of surrounding objects. It usually 
seeks its food upon the ground, but will also seize insects on the 
wing as they happen to pass within its ken and reach; if not dis- ° 
turbed it will return times without number, after such excursions, 
to the same perch.” It also occurs in Benguela, where Senor 
Anchieta has met with it at Dombe; the same gentleman has also 
shot it on the Rio Coroca in Mossamedes. It likewise inhabits 
Natal, as Mr. T. E. Buckley shot a male specimen on the 22nd of 
May, 1873, during his journey through that province to the Matabili 
country. 
When adult, this Chat is a very recognisable species, having a 
pure white head and white belly, but the changes of plumage and 
the different garbs of the young and female birds are unknown. 
From a study of the large series in the British Museum we believe 
that the young bird is brown; in this stage it is Saxicola atmorii of 
Tristram. It moults from this plumage into the full dress, but 
at first with a greyish head; in this stage it is Sawicola griseiceps 
of Blanford and Dresser. Our impression is that Saxicola diluta of 
the same authors is the adult female of this bird, but we are unable 
to say so for certain. Professor Barboza du Bocage has very kindly 
sent us for examination the types of his Dromolea albipileata, 
which is the same species as S. lewcomelena, but both white-headed 
birds are sexed by Anchieta as females, while the males have black 
heads with a white eye-streak. Two of these latter are also for- 
warded, and in this plumage they would be S. equatorialis of 
Hartlaub, a species referred by Messrs. Blanford and Dresser to 
S. monticola. ven if the birds sent by Anchieta are really pairs, 
the sexes must probably be reversed, as the testimony of other 
observers is overwhelmingly in fayour of the white-headed birds 
