GENUS CENANTHE. 42; 



Genus OENANTHE Vieill.* 



GEnanthe Vieillot, Analyse noviv. Orn., p. 43 (1816 — Type by tauto- 

 nymy " Le Motteux " ^ Motacilla cenanthc L.) {Saxicola auct.) 



Small long-winged ten-primaried Oscines with base of tail and 

 rump conspicuously Avhite, rarely (in non-British species) ferru- 

 gnious. Distance from end of secondaries to that of primaries as 

 long as or longer than tarsus. 1st primary shorter, equal to or 

 distinctly longer than primary -co verts. Tail square or almost so. 

 Bill black, slender. Tarsus in front with unbroken lamina, except 

 at base. Rictal and nasal bristles small but distinct. Young 

 mostly spotted, in adults sexes in most cases different, sometimes 

 (0?. isahdlina) alike in plumage. Numerous species in Europe, 

 Asia, Africa, Greenland and north-eastern and north-western 

 Xorth America ; sixteen species and a number of subspecies in 

 Palaearctic region. Ne.sts in cavities among rocks, holes in banks 

 or under bushes, eggs blue, spotted as a rule. 



Key io sj)ecies of gcmis CEnanthe. 



I Upper-parts, except base of tail and upper 

 tail-coverts, blackish or dark brown. . GJJ. leucura, p. 440 



Upper-parts spotted (E. osnanthe, dcserti, 



his panica , pleschanka, 

 iand isahdlina in juv. plumage 

 Upper-parts isabelline, grey, whitish or 

 brownish, oi- parti-coloured, but neither 

 uniform blackish nor spotted . . 2 



Interscapular region ashy-grey, vipper wing- 

 coverts black. (E. cenanthc, ^ ad., p. 420 



Interscapular region and upper wing-coverts 



black (E.plcschanka,(^ ad., p. 44:1 



Interscapular region white or isabelline, 



scapulars and upper wing-coverts black . (E. his panica, (^ ad., p. 43."j 



Interscapular region and all or at least 

 inner wing-coverts brown or isabelline 3 



„ ( Less than half of outer tail-feathers white . (E. descrfi, p. 431 



^ More than half of outer tail-feathers white 4 



* The Wheatears have, for a long time, been called Saxicola without due 

 consideration of facts, and it has even been stated that Motacilla cenanthe 

 is the genotype " by subsequent designation " of Gray, 1841. This designa- 

 tion, however, was anticipated by Swainson, who, in 1827, designated Motacilla 

 ritbi^ola as the genotype. Thus the name Saxicola must be used for the 

 Chats, which is lucky in so far as the usual name Pratincola is not available, 

 because of its use for the Pratincoles in 1798, eighteen years before. By the 

 method of elimination Saxicola also becomes the generic title for the Chats, 

 and not for the Wheatears. The next oldest name for the latter is (Enanthe 

 Vieiilot, 1816, type by tautonymy Motacilla oenanthe L. — E.H. 



