200 SAXICOLINJC. 



Pratincola indica, Blyth. 



483. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 124 ; Butler, Guzerat ; 



Stray Feathers, Vol. Ill, p. 475 ; P. maura, Pall. : Deccan, Stray 



Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 404 ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India ; 



Ibis, p. 124. 



THE INDIAN BUSHCHAT. 



Length, 5'25; wing, 275 ; tail, 175; tarsus, (>& ; bill at front, 

 0-38. 



Bill black ; irides deep-brown; legs black. 



The male in summer plumage has the whole head and neck, 

 back, wings, and tail black, the back and wings edged with 

 pale rufous ; wing-spot, rump, and upper tail-coverts^ white ; 

 breast and lower parts bright ferruginous, deep on the breast, 

 paler on the flanks and belly and albescent on the vent and 

 under tail-coverts ; a demi T collar of white almost meets on the 

 nape, dividing the back of the head and neck. 



In winter plumage the black is almost replaced by earthy 

 brown ; the rump and tail-coverts are ferruginous-brown ; the 

 lores, ear-coverts, and chin, however, are alw r ays more or less 

 black ; the white wing-spot is less prominent ; the whole lower 

 parts are dull ferruginous, albescent on the under tail-coverts, 

 and the demi-collar is deficient or rusty. 



The female resembles the male in winter dress, being brown 

 above, margined with paler brown, and rufescent towards the 

 the tail ; but the chin and throat are white, and there is a 

 white supercilium. The wing-spot too is a little sullied. 



The Indian Bush or Whinchat is a common winter visitant 

 to all parts of the district, appearing about the commencement 

 of September. 



Pratincola leucurus, Blyth. 



484. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 126 ; Murray's Ver- 

 tebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 140. 



THE WHITE-TAILED BUSHCHAT. 



Length, 5 ; wing, 2 -5 ; tail, 2 ; tarsus, 075 ; bill at front, 0'45. 



Bill black ; irides brown ; legs black. 



Male. Above black, with the usual white wing-patch ; the 

 breast bright rufous in the centre ; sides of neck, breast, and 

 lower parts pure white ; the four outer tail-feathers wholly 

 white on their inner webs, except the tip of the two outermost ; 

 and the pair next the centrals ( which are wholly black) have 

 the greater portion of the inner web also white. 



The female is brown above, the feathers edged paler, with a 

 smaller white wing-spot, but no white on the tail ; beneath 

 earthy-white, tinged rufous on the breast. 



In winter the dorsal feathers are more or less edged with 

 brown. 



The White-tailed Bushchat is a winter visitant to Sind ; it 

 does not occur elsewhere within our limits. 



