Journey in Fars, S.W. Persia. 547 



81. PRATINCOLA RUBICOLA MAURA (Pall.). 



Pratincola rubicola (Linn.) ; Blanf. t. c. p. 145. 



Pratincola hemprichi Sharpe (nee Ehr.), Ibis, 1886, 

 pp. 480 & 494. 



17, 38, 46, 112, 245, 284, 342, 346, 360. Ad. 



The amount of white at the base of the tail in specimens 

 of this species from Persia varies considerably, and in my 

 opinion all the skins from Bushire and Fao in the British 

 Museum are referable to this species, and not to P. hemprichi. 

 The amount of white in the axillaries is also variable. 

 Typical P. hemprichi has white tail-feathers with black tips, 

 and the birds from Persia never have much more than the 

 basal half of the tail-feathers white. 



The two forms, however, intergrade, and, although their 

 supposed ranges overlap, I am inclined to think that the true 

 P. hemprichi will be found to be a subspecies of P. rubicola 

 with a separate residential range. 



• Dr. Blanford considered Stone- Chats rather scarce in 

 Persia. I did not see them in the wooded country, but they 

 were fairly common here and there in the open country from 

 sea-level to over 9000 ft. Of those shot, the first with 

 organs in a breeding-condition was obtained at Shul (6800 ft.) 

 on April 25th. A nest on the borders of a marsh near 

 Shiraz contained hard-set eggs on May 3rd. 



82. Ruticilla phgenicurus (Linn.) ; Blanf. t. c. p. 163 ; 

 Sharpe, Ibis, 1886, p. 496 [part.]. 



25. S ad.; 26. ? ad. March 22nd, Bushire. 

 April 3rd, Kaluni (4500 ft.). 

 April 8th, Dasht-i-arjan (6700 ft.). 

 May 31st, Khersun lliver (5300 ft.). 

 June 1st, Chinar (6600 ft.). 

 Specimens 25, 26, & 78, and one of those collected by 

 Mr. Palmer at Bushire (now in the British Museum), 

 although in abraded plumage, have distinct indications of 

 white edgings to the secondaries. They thus seem inter- 

 mediate between R. phoenicurus and R. mesoleuca. Dr. 

 Blanford was uncertain of the occurrence of the Common 



