THE CHATS 1655 



and most of the upper parts grayish blue, the lores and the ear coverts black, the 

 upper tail coverts pure white, and constantly displayed; while the tail is black and 

 white, and the throat and under parts are huffish white. 



The black chat (S. leticura) inhabits the rocky districts of Spain, 

 B ack Chat Italy, an d Northwest Africa, being replaced in India by a closely-allied 

 species. Partially resident in its breeding grounds, it is only a summer migrant to 

 many districts; and it is essentially a bird of desolate mountains, which it enlivens 

 with its lively, active figure. Preferring the wildest and most rugged situations, it 

 is a shy, cautious bird, avoiding the haunts of men; and as, even when wounded, it 

 generally manages to creep into some deep fissure to die, it is difficult to secure. 

 Brehm states that the male black chat often ' ' either dances about on a precipice or a 

 stone, or runs up the precipice, spreading its tail and wings like a blackcock, nods its 

 head, turns sharp round, rises singing into the air like a tree pipit, and then grad- 

 ually sinks with outspread wings to the ground, where it finishes the last strophes 

 of its song in the neighborhood of the female bird, which quite silently watches the 

 antics of her mate. In all its comical postures it knows how to show its beautiful 

 white tail to the best advantage. If there are any trees or prickly pear bushes 

 in the mountains, it will also repose on them during the intervals of its dance and 

 song; otherwise it selects the most prominent positions for its resting places." The 

 black chat builds about the middle or end of April, placing its nest in some hole or 

 fissure of the rock, frequently in a precipitous situation. The nest is large, loosely 

 constructed of dry stalks of grass, and the finer stems of various wild plants, and 

 lined with soft fibres and hair. The eggs are pale light blue, with a zone of pale 

 reddish spots around the larger end. The song of the black chat is wild and sweet, 

 and has been compared, when heard in autumn, to that of the blue thrush, although 

 it is not so loud and clear, and generally concludes with a peculiar churring sound, 

 resembling that of the black redstart. The adult male in the breeding season has 

 the entire plumage of the upper and lower parts of the body sooty black, with the 

 exception of the rump and upper tail coverts, which are pure white. The two cen- 

 tral tail feathers are black, and the remainder white, broadly tipped with black; 

 while the under tail coverts are pure white. The female is a duller bird than her 

 mate, being blackish brown instead of sooty black. 



The whinchat (S. rubetra}* winters in Africa, extending its range 

 farther north than the stonechat in the breeding season. Passing 

 through Spain in the month of April, it makes its way to the Arctic Circle by the 

 end of May; one of the principal routes by which its spring journey is accomplished 

 lying along the valley of the Rhine, where the species is extremely abundant. The 

 whinchat loves the neighborhood of grass meadows, from which the song of the 

 male may often be heard resounding, while his mate is engaged in the duties of in- 

 cubation. The call note of the species is loud and monotonous, representing the 

 word "utick." The nest, usually placed upon the ground and adroitly concealed, 

 contains eggs of a bluish-green color, often spotted with fine specks of reddish 



* By many ornithologists the whinchat and its allies are separated as a distinct genus, Pratincola, on account 

 of their Droader beak and more numerous rictal bristles. 



