62 Mr. Hugh Whistler on the 



(which were the only ones noted) were both obtained in 

 the District Board garden. 



[Iris dark brown; feet and bill black. — C. B. J".] 



Saxicola picata. The Pied Chat. 



A winter visitor in small numbers from the second half 

 of August until about the first week of March. Numerous 

 during the autumn migration until about the middle of 

 October. Last noted on March 8. 



Saxicola capistrata. The White-Headcd Chat. 



1335. 11. 3. 1914. Dumman. ^. Wing 95 mm. 

 9i5. 7.12.1913. Chakwal. ? . „ 87 mm. 



The most abundant of the Wheatears found in the district; 

 it occurs from the second half of August until about the 

 middle of March, being last noted on March 13. This 

 and the preceding species are now lumped together as one 

 dimorphic species, and when both occur together they 

 certainly behave and mingle together as if one species ; 

 but I noted that, whereas S. capistrata and S. picata were 

 found equally commonly during the autumn migrations, 

 S. picata disappeared almost entirely during the winter, 

 while S. capistrata remained common. Hence I prefer to 

 keep the two forms apart. The White-headed Chat fre- 

 quently comes into buildings to roost. 



[Mr. AVhistler's notes on the distribution in point of 

 time on this supposed dimorphic species are of interest. 

 Major Whitehead ('Ibis/ 1909, p. 216), noted also a 

 difference in the Kohat district. Thus he says of iS. picata : 

 *' fairly common winter visitor from October to March .... 

 nests freely on the Samana " ; of S. capistrata he says : 

 " cold weather visitor, very abundant from the third week 

 in August till April .... In the Kurram valley it nests 

 freely round Parachinar from 4500 to 6500 feet, but rarely 

 as high as 9000 feet." He seems to imply a different 

 breeding habitat for the two forms. Dr. Hartert kindly 

 sent me from Tring some females to compare with 

 Mr. Whistler's birds ; they were from Baluchistan, and 

 were quite different from these Punjab birds from Jhelum 



