SAXICOLA STAPAZINA 27 



two Chats ("Birds Eur." ii, pp. 203-210), enters at some length into 

 the matter of their nomenclature, and rightly refers the Black-eared 

 Chat to S. stapaziiia, although he has recently (" Man. Pal. Birds," p. 

 37) referred this species to S. albicollis, Vieill., and applied the name of 

 S. stapazina to the western form of the Black-throated Chat. Finally, 

 Dr. Sharpe, in his " Hand List of the Genera and Species of Birds," 

 has relegated the name of stapazina to the synonyms of the Western 

 Black-throated Chat, which he refers to Saxicola nifa (Steph.), 

 although that name, from Stephens's description of the bird, appears 

 to belong to the Black-eared Chat. 



Neither of the two names, stapazina or rufa, being available for 

 the Western Black-throated Chat, this bird must no doubt bear Count 

 Salvadori'snameof Saxicola occidentalis ("Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen." 2, iii, 

 p. 116). 



As mentioned in the following article on 8. caterince, both forms 

 or species of Black-eared Chat occur in Tunisia, the present, or 

 Eastern form, however, not being nearly so common as the Western 

 form, (S'. caterina. Possibly the Regency forms the extreme western 

 limit of its range in Africa, although in Europe it occurs further west, 

 being found in France, Spain and Portugal. In my Marocco collection 

 I have a large series of Black-eared Chats, but they are all of the 

 Western species. In Spain, Sicily, and the Eiviera, as well, perhaps, 

 as in some other West Mediterranean districts, both species occur. I 

 would here observe that in localities where the two species meet, it is 

 by no means unlikely that they may interbreed, being so closely allied 

 to each other, and hybrids be the result ; indeed, I have seen one or 

 two specimens of Black-eared Chats which seem to partake equally 

 of the distinguishing characters of the two species. 



While on this subject I may allude to the close relationship which 

 evidently exists between not only the two species of Black-eared Chat, 

 but also between them and the two species of Black-throated Chat. 

 These four species, indeed, form a fairly distinct group in themselves, 

 closely resembling one another in many respects, such as structure 

 and plumage colouring, as well as in their choice of habitat, their 

 nesting, and in their habits generally. 



In a paper recently published on the birds of the " Bocche 

 di Cattaro," South Dalmatia (J". /. 0. 1904, pp. 93-100), Herr P. 

 Kollibay gives some interesting notes regarding the Black-eared and 

 Black-throated Chats, and enters at some length into the question 

 of their close relationship. 



