250 BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 
river on the 8th of December, 1860, and the other, also a male, at 
Koy’s Fountain, Great Namaqua Land, on the 18th of June, 1862. 
The latter is in winter plumage, and answers to the “ S. griseiceps” 
stage of S. leucomelena. The British Museum also possesses a pair ” 
of wholly grey birds (males) killed at Koy’s Fountain on the 18th 
and 21st of June, 1862, and marked by Mr. Andersson as the young 
of the same species. Lastly, there is in the same collection a speci- 
men with the plumage glossy black, and only a narrow white line 
on the head, from the beak to the fore-part of the eye instead of the 
white head. It bears a label, “ Male. Aamhoup, June 28, 1861,” 
and like all his other Chats, is referred by Mr. Andersson to 
“§. alpina.” This bird bears the same relation to the white- 
headed birds of S. anderssoni, that S. equatorialis does to S. leuco- 
meleena, but whether it is only a stage of plumage, or a different 
species, we must leave to future observers to discover; as in the case 
of Senor Anchieta’s black-headed birds, it is marked a male. 
236. PRatINcOLA TORQUATA. South African Stone-chat. 
Pratincola pastor, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 111 (1867). 
The ‘ Bontrochie’ is abundant throughout the colony, occurring, as 
Captain Shelley remarks, commonly from the Cape to Durban. 
Victorin procured it at the Knysna in April and again from July to 
September, and Mr. Andersson also met with it there. Mr. Rickard 
notes it from Port Elizabeth and East London. In Natal both 
Captain Shelley and Mr. Ayres have recorded it, and the latter 
gentleman says that it is common throughout the Transvaal, 
breeding in walls and banks. Mr. F. A. Barratt likewise met with 
it at Macamac and we have seen a specimen said to have been shot 
in the Zambesi district, though it is not included in Dr. Kirk’s list. 
Mr. Andersson writes :— This bird is common in Little Namaqua 
Land: but, to the best of my recollection, I have never seen it 
either in Great Namaqua or in Damara Land, though it is not un- 
frequent at Lake N’gami:” from this latter locality we have 
examined skins collected by Mr. Chapman. Although not included 
in the Damara list, it occurs farther north, as Senor Anchieta has 
procured it at Huilla in Mossamedes and also at Caconda in 
Benguela. 
It inhabits open plains covered with low brushwood, generally 
