SAXICOLA OeCIDENTALIS 35 



SAXICOLA OCCIDENTALIS, Salvacloii. 

 WESTERN BLACK-THROATED CHAT. 



(Enanthe stapazina, Vieill. {ncc Linn.) Nouv. Diet, xxi, p. 425 (1818). 

 Saxicola stapazina, Temm. {ncc Linn.) Man. d'Orn. i, p. 239 (1820) ; 



Seebolim, Cat. Birds Brit. Mas. v, p. 387 ; Loche, Expl. Sci. Alg. Ois. 



i, p. 204 (1867) ; Eoenig, J.f. 0. 1888, p. 209 ; id. J. f. 0. 1893, p. 13 ; 



Whital-er, Ibis, 1894, p. 87; id. Ibis, 1895, p. 93 ; EHawjcr, J.f. 0. 



1899, p. 222. 

 S. rufa (Brelim), Koeuig, J.f. 0. 1888, p. 209 ; id. J.f 0. 1893, p. 13. 

 S. occidentalis, Salvad. Ann. 2Ius. Civ. Gen. (2) iii, p. 116 (1886) ; id. 



Iliis, 1904, p. 78. 



Description. — Adult male, spring, from Sbeitla, Central Tunisia. 



Forehead, crown, nape, back and scapulars cream coloured; rump aud 

 upper tail-coverts white ; wings black ; the two central rectrices white at 

 the base, otherwise black; the two exterior rectrices white on the basal two- 

 thirds, and black on the terminal third ; the remaining tail-feathers white, 

 broadly tipped with black ; lores and region round the eye, ear-coverts, and 

 upper throat jet-black, this colour extending in a narrow line as far as the 

 culmen, but not over it ; the remainder of the underparts white, tinged with 

 cream colour ; under-surface of the primaries and secondaries greyish- 

 white. 



Iris very dark brown ; bill and feet black. 



Total length 6 inches, wing 3'65, culmen -65, tarsus '90. 



Adult female, spring, from North Tunisia. 



Forehead, lores, and a streak over the eyes greyish-buff ; ear-coverts 

 light brown ; crown, nape, back and scapulars greyish-brown ; rump aud 

 upper tail-coverts white ; the two central rectrices white at the base, other- 

 wise blackish-brown ; the remaining rectrices white, broadly tipped with 

 dark brown ; wings brown, the secondaries and coverts margined with buff ; 

 chin and throat light grey ; breast buff, becoming darker on the flanks and 

 paler on the abdomen, crissum, and under tail-coverts ; under wing-coverts 

 and axillaries grey. 



Iris, bill and feet dark brown. 



Measurements slightly less than in the male. 



Observations. — In autumn plumage the light colouring of the upper parts 

 in the male becomes a rich russet-brown, while the wing-feathers are very 

 conspicuously margined with buff. 



The principal difference between the females of S. catering and 

 S. occidentalis appears to be that in the former the general tone of 

 plumage inclines to buff, and in the latter to grey, or in other words, 

 the former is lighter, and the latter darker in colouring. Between 

 individuals of the same species, however, there is a certain amount of 



