454 



A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



SAXICOLA TORQUATA 



187. Saxicola torquata hibernans (Hart.) — THE 

 STONECHAT. 



BRITISH 



Tlie British Stonechat {Saxicola t. 

 hibernans). Adult male, suiiiuier. 



Pratincola torquata hibernans Hartert, Joum. f. Om., 1910, p. 173 



(England). 



Pratincola mhicola (Linnseus), Yarrell, i, p. 339 ; Saunders, p. 29 ; 



P. t. hibernans, Hartert, Brit. B., iii, p. 315. 



Description (Plate 16). — Adult 

 male. Winter. — Crown, mantle 

 and scapulars brown and black, 

 feathers being jet - black with 

 long reddish - brown fringes ; 

 rump more uniform reddish- 

 brown ; upper tail-coverts white 

 with black pear-shaped centres 

 and rufous tips concealing the 

 white ; lores, ear -coverts, chin 

 and throat black, feathers with 

 buff tips sometimes almost con- 

 cealing black ; at base of sides 

 of neck patch of white extending 

 towards back of neck to shoulder 

 much concealed towards shoulder 



by black and rufous tips to feathers; breast, sides of belly and 

 flanks chestnut, feathers with narrow buff fringes ; centre of 

 belly and under tail-coverts pale buff ; under wing-coverts and 

 axillaries black, fringed and tipped white ; tail-feathers brown- 

 black with narrow buff fringes and tips ; wing-feathers brown- 

 black, inner webs edged dull white, outer webs of primaries 

 narrowly edged buff and of secondaries more broadly edged 

 rufous-buff, innermost secondary with basal half, and two next 

 with basal third of outer web white ; primary -coverts brown- 

 black wdth buffi sh -white fringes and tips ; varying number of inner 

 greater wing-coverts white, next outwards black and white, rest 

 black with rufous-buff edgings and tips ; inner median coverts white 

 with black bases, rest black with buff tips ; lesser coverts same 

 but innermost with only tips white. This plumage is acquired by 

 complete moult in Aug. -Sept. Summer. — No moult. Abrasion 

 of tips and fringes of feathers gradually causes striking change 

 Avith considerable individual variation according to amount of wear ; 

 throat and uj)per-parts becoming jet-black with few remains of 

 brown edgings to feathers ; upper tail-coverts black and white ; 

 white patches on sides of neck larger and pure white ; breast 

 brighter chestnut ; centre of belly and under tail-coverts whiter ; 

 axillaries black with little white remaining ; wing-coverts jet-black 

 with white patch formed by inner ones showing larger. 



