Major J. Biddulpli on the Birds of Gilgit. 59 



leucomela (under wliich name it is described by Jerdon) by 

 the inner web of the quills being black instead o£ white. (See 

 Blanford and Dresser's Monograph, P. Z. S. 1874, p. 225.) 



From S. picata it may be distinguished by its more deli- 

 cate legs, feet, and bill : it shows white on the head at all 

 seasons ; and the white extends onto the mantle. In no spe- 

 cimen of S. morio obtained is there any trace of rufous on 

 the under tail-coverts. One specimen differs in this point 

 only from Gould^s plate of S. capistrata ; and the specimen 

 mentioned in the monograph as from Lahore, with rufous on 

 the under tail-coverts, Avould appear to be a stage of the form 

 described as S. capistrata (see S. picata) : the white is very 

 silky, and the black more intense and shining than in S. 

 jncata, especially on the throat. On the whole it is a shorter 

 and more slender bird than /S. picata, but has an equally long 

 wing. Messrs. Dresser and Blanford are wrong in supposing 

 that the female is like the male : it closely resembles the 

 female of S. picata as figured in Gould^s 'Birds of Asia^ in 

 the plate of Dromolcssa picata ; but the bill and feet are simi- 

 larly weaker as in the males, the upper parts are more ruf ous- 

 isabelline instead of hair-brown, and there is a well-marked, 

 though narrow, pale supercilium and frontal band ; the v/hole 

 head is paler and more rufous than the back, whereas in S. 

 picata the head and back are alike. 



The younger male closely resembles the female, except in 

 having the fore neck and upper part of the breast black 

 mottled with rufous. 



S. morio was first seen on April 22 ; in May and June it 

 was tolerably common, but never seen in great numbers. 



78. Saxicola Vittata, Hempr. & Ehr. 



Two specimens referred to this species were procured by Dr. 

 Scully. The first, a male shot on June 11, agrees well with 

 Mr. Blanford's description of the type, but differs slightly in 

 size. Length 6*1 inches, expanse lO'S, wing 3"6, tail 2'4, 

 tarsus 0"9, bill from gape 0*8, bill from front 0*5. The crown 

 and nape are slightly sullied with brown, as in some specimens 

 of S. morio. Chin, throat, and breast pure white. 



