THE WHINCHAT. 449 



Food. — Insects, probably chiefly orthoptera and coleoptera, also 

 diptera, but little information available. 



Distribution. — England. — One. Male, Pevensey Shiice (Sussex), 

 June 7th, 1915 {ut supra). 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Marocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Tripoli, 

 chiefly south of Atlas, but in places nearly to Mediterranean. 

 Only the type known from Egypt, so far. 



Genus SAXICOLA Bechst.* 



Saxicola Bechstein. Orn. Taschenb., i, p. 216 (1802 — Type by subsequent 

 designation, Swainson 1827 : S. rubicola. — Pratincola auct.) 



Appears to be related to (Enanthe but resembles Flycatchers 

 in some ways. Bill short and strong, rictal and nasal bristles 

 well developed, former longer than in (Enanthe. First primary, 

 except in 8. rubetra, longer than primary-coverts, wings not as 

 long as in (Enanthe, tail shorter. Sheath of tarsus undivided in 

 front. Sexes different, juvenile more spotted than adults. Nests 

 open, eggs blue, mostly spotted. 



Key to species of genus Saxicola. 



First primary not distinctly longer than primary- 

 coverts, 5th distinctly shorter than 3rd . . . S. rubetra, p. 449 



First primary much longer than primary-coverts, 



5th not distinctly shorter than 3rd . . . S. torquala, p, 454 



SAXICOLA RUBETRA 



i86. Saxicola rubetra rubetra (L.)— THE WHINCHAT. 



MoTAciLLA Rubetra Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 186 (1758 — Europe. 



Restricted typical locality : Sweden). 



Pratincola rubetra (Linnaeus), Yarrell, i, p. 344 ; Saunders, p. 27. 



Description (Plate 16). — Adult ynale. Winter. — Whole head black- 

 brown, feathers tdged and narrowly tipped rufous-brown ; naj)esame 

 but edgings of feathers more bufflsh-brown ; mantle and scapulars 

 same but feathers with broader rufous -brown edgings and small 

 whitish tips ; rump and upper tail-coverts same but with black 

 reduced to mesial streak and subterminal mark ; broad stripe 



* The name Pratincola dates from Koch, 1816, but cannot be used 

 because Schrank introduced it for the Pratincoles in 1798. (See note under 

 (Enanthe.)— 'c:'. 11. 



2 G 



