1922.] the Birds of SI ml. 637 



it is conipiiratively abundant; T have met with it up to about 

 2000 feet and at Ca{)e Monze on the rocks just above 

 high-water mark. Outside tho liill area it is a scarce 

 bird; Butler records it from Hyderabad, but there are 

 small rocky hills even there ; Mr. Kinnear obtained it at 

 Pithoro, and Blanford met with it in Thar and Parkar 

 (whore there are also low rocky hills), though it was 

 commoner there on passage. I only met with it once out- 

 side the hill district, and that a single bird at Rohri on rocky 

 ground, a terrain it seems constantly associated with. 



Of its arrival I have no accurate note, it is common by 

 the first week in November, and I have seen it as late as 

 2 March, about which time it probably leaves. Its food con- 

 sists largely of black ants. Hume says he never saw this 

 bird perch on bushes as other Wheatears do ; in many 

 places whore it is found there are no bushes, but 1 have 

 occasionally seen it perch on the top of euphorbias and other 

 low bushes. 



There is not much variation in tho plumage of this bird. 

 Measurements of my &orios are : — 



Nine n^^ales : wing 93-97, tail o2-(55, bill from base 18'5- 

 19 '5 mm. 



Six females: wing 90-92, tail G0-(;4, bill from base 18- 

 19 mm. 



A bird obtained on 23 February shows slight moult on 

 chin and back, but I am uncertain how i\\Y the spring moult 

 extends. The second primary is between the fiftli and sixth, 

 occasionally between the sixth and seventh. 



The Cercomela melannra Riipp. apud Blytli, e.v Barnes' 

 drawings from Sind, was prol)ably this species. 



Phcenicmus ochruros phcenicuroides (Moore). 



The Indian Pedstart is a connnon winter visitor wherever 

 cultivation, gardens, and thicker jungle exist. It is a bird 

 of the shade, and each one keeps pretty well to its own beat 

 where it has its favourite perches, usually the lower bough 

 of some tree, which it visits in turn to await the appearance 

 of its insect prey on the ground beneath. Apart from the 



SBR. XI. — VOL. IV, 2 u 



