408 Mr. J. I. S. Whi taker on the proper 



XXXIV. — On the proper Names of the Two Forms of Black- 

 eared Chats. By Joseph I. S. Whitaker, F.Z.S. 



In the January number of ' The Ibis' (1903, pp. 90 and 91) 

 I notice that Mr. Dresser, writing on the synonymy of 

 some Palajarctic Birds, disputes the validity of the name 

 Saxicola catering (not catarinte, as spelled by him), which 

 was given by me to the western form of the Black-eared 

 Chat ('Ibis/ 1898, p. 625). 



Mr. Dresser commences, very rightly, by recognising 

 the distinctness of the eastern and western forms of the 

 Black-eared Chat, but proceeds to state that, both forms 

 having already received names, " Saxicola caterince " can 

 only be regarded as a synonym, and finally concludes, some- 

 what arbitrarily, and without giving any reasons for his 

 deduction, by saying that " the eastern form will therefore 

 stand as Saxicola amphileuca Hempr. & Ehrenb., and the 

 western as Saxicola albicollis (Vieill.)." 



In order to arrive at a satisfactory solution of this question 

 of names (for apparently the distinctness of the two respective 

 forms or species is now recognised by most ornithologists), 

 it is necessary to examine and carefully consider previous 

 descriptions of the Black-eared Chat, with a view to ascer- 

 taining, so far as may be possible, to which form they refer. 



Taking first Vieillot's (Enanthe albicollis (Nouv. Diet. 

 xxi. p. 424, 1818), the description given to this bird, 

 although in many respects applying equally to both forms, 

 when taken as a whole applies far better to the eastern form 

 than to the western. To begin with, the plumage of 

 the upper parts in the western form could never correctly 

 be described as of a ie beau blanc," even " legerement teint 

 de roux," &c., the upper plumage of this form being dis- 

 tinctly cream-coloured. On the other hand, in the eastern 

 form these parts are of a fine white. Secondly, the words 

 "uue bande noire traverse et enveloppe Pceil" are certainly 

 more applicable to the eastern form, in which the eye is 

 completely and very markedly encircled by the black band ; 

 whereas in the western form it is not generally so, being 



