566 WHITE-RUMPED WIIEATAR. 



THIS species of Wheatear is six inches and a 

 half in length : its beak is black : irides hazel : 

 from the beak, passing through the eyes, and end- 

 ing on the ears, arises a black streak: the eye- 

 brows are white, and join a spot of that colour on 

 the forehead: the upper part of the head and 

 back are hoary grey : the quills are dusky, edged 

 with pale rust: wing-coverts black, tipped with 

 rusty yellow: rump, upper and under tail-coverts, 

 white ; tail with its two middle feathers, with one 

 inch, and the rest half an inch, black at their tips : 

 under part of the neck buff-coloured : breast and 

 belly yellowish white : legs and claws black : the 

 female is rather heavier than the male, but her 

 colours are not so beautiful ; the white line over 

 the eye and on the forehead is very obscure, as 

 is also the black streak which passes through the 

 eyes : the back is varied with grey and brown : 

 the young bird resembles the female. 



There are several varieties of this species de- 

 scribed by authors : the first is mentioned by Bris- 

 son, who observes that it has a mixture of whitish 

 and fulvous on the upper parts, and that the lower 

 part of the neck is varied with small grey spots : 

 its two middle tail-feathers are entirely black ; and 

 its beak and legs brown. Mr. Pennant also men- 

 tions one that approaches very near the last : an- 

 other described by Brisson has the rump grey- 

 brown, and the upper parts of the body varied with 

 that colour and grey. There is a white variety 

 in the British Museum, which was killed on Dart- 

 moor, by P. Ilbert, Esq. who sent it to Montagu. 



