Major J. Biddulpli 07i the Birds of Gilgit. 61 



81. Saxicola hendersoni, Hume*. 



This species was not noticed the first year; but in the 

 second year a number appeared in September, chiefly young 

 birds, and a fevr adults among them. Messrs. Blanford and 

 Dresser, in their monograph of the Saxicolinse, and the latter 

 also in the ' Birds of Europe,^ suppress this species, and place 

 the name as a synonym of S. melanoleuca. The reasons for 

 this are not given; and the coloration of the base of the 

 feathers on the back seems to be utterly incompatible with 

 the assumption of a white back in summer ; so that this deci- 

 sion could not be accepted, even in the absence of specimens 

 in full breeding-plumage. But Mr. Hume has recently 

 pointed out that three males obtained by Dr. Stoliczka, in 

 the second Yarkund expedition, are in full breeding-plumage, 

 and have the back, as might have been anticipated, black. 



It is worthy of note that the nearly allied /Si. deserti, which 

 is common in the Indus valley above 7000 feet, is not found 

 in Gilgit. 



There is nothing to add to Mr. Hume's careful and detailed 

 description of his species S. hendersoni. 



83. RuTiciLLA RunvENTRis (Vicill.). 



With reference to the distinctive difference pointed out by 

 Mr. Blanford in * Eastern Persia,' vol. ii. p. 165, all speci- 

 mens procured in Gilgit have rufous under wing-coverts, 

 thereby distinguishing them from the R. erythroprocta type, 

 which has the under wing-coverts black. 



Eleven males agree fairly with stage IV. in 'Stray Feathers,' 

 vol. V. p. 36, except that the back is only partially black, and 

 the greyish white band on the forehead is only visible in the 

 May specimens. 



The fact of males breeding in female plumage has been 

 before remarked; but it seems far commoner than has been sup- 

 posed. Like many other birds, this species probably does not 

 get its fully adult plumage till after the first breeding-season. 



* [This is the same as S. morio, No. 77 of this list. Mr. Hume's ori- 

 giual description and figure of S. hendersoni admirably represent the 

 winter plumage of S. morio (Hempr. & Ehr.). — J. S.] 



