28 BIRDS OF TUNISIA 



I have met with S. stapazina on three occasions only in Tunisia, 

 and the species is evidently not common there. Whether it breeds 

 in the Regency I cannot say, but it possibly does so, and no doubt its 

 nest and eggs are similar to those of S. caterincB. Baron v. Erlanger 

 seems to have met with S. stapazina on one occasion in Tunisia, but 

 treating of the Black-eared Chats found in the Eegency (J. /. 0. 1899, 

 pp. 224-227), he refers the Western form to S. aurita aurita (Temm.) 

 (= S. stapazina), and the Eastern form to S. amphileuca (H. and E.). 

 Curiously enough, although noticing most of the differential characters 

 betvsreen the two forms, he failed to observe what is probably the 

 most salient one, viz., the colour of the under-wing surface. 



From Tripoli I have a young male specimen of the Black-eared 

 Chat, which appears to belong to the Eastern form, but it is not 

 sufficiently adult for positive certainty of identification. 



In the small collection of skins at the Paris Jardin des Plantes 

 Museum I have, however, seen a fully adult male specimen from 

 Tripoli which is undoubtedly of this species. 



I would here observe that for proper comparison of the two 

 forms, or species, of Black-eared Chats, it is necessary to have fully 

 adult male specimens in breeding plumage, immature examples being 

 useless for the purpose. 



SAXICOLA CATERIN-ffi, Whitaker. 

 WESTEEN BLACK-EAEED CHAT. 



Saxicola caterinae, Whitaker, Ibis, 1898, p. 624 ; id. Ibis, 1903, p. 408 ; 

 Erlanger, J.f. 0. 1900, p. 99. 



Description. — Adult male, spring, from El-Madjen, Central Tunisia. 



A narrow frontal line, not extending over the base of the bill, lores, a 

 narrow stripe not extending completely over the eye, ear-coverts and wings 

 black ; crown, nape, back, and scapulars nch cream colour ; rump and upper 

 tail-coverts white ; the two central tail-feathers white on the basal third, 

 otherwise black, the remaining i-ectrices white, broadly tipped with black, the 

 outer pair rather more so than the rest ; entire underparts white, faintly 

 tinged with cream colour; under-surfaee of the primaries and secondaries 

 white and grey. 



Iris very dark brown ; bill and feet black. 



