GENUS (ENANTHE. 425 



Genus CENANTHE Vieill.* 



(ENANTHE Vieillot, Analyse nouv. Orn., p. 43 (1816 Type by tauto- 

 nymy " Le Motteux " = Motacilla cenanthe L.) (Saxicola auct.) 



Small long-winged ten-primaried Oscines with base of tail and 

 rump conspicuously white, rarely (in non-British species) ferru- 

 ginous. Distance from end of secondaries to that of primaries as 

 long as or longer than tarsus. 1st primary shorter, equal to or 

 distinctly longer than primary -co verts. Tail square or almost so. 

 Bill black, slender. Tarsus in front with unbroken lamina, except 

 at base. Rictal and nasal bristles small but distinct. Young 

 mostly spotted, in adults sexes in most cases different, sometimes 

 ((E. isabellina) alike in plumage. Numerous species in Europe, 

 Asia, Africa, Greenland and north-eastern and north -western 

 North America ; sixteen species and a number of subspecies in 

 Palsearctic region. Nests in cavities among rocks, holes in banks 

 or under bushes, eggs blue, spotted as a rule. 



Key to species of genus (ENANTHE. 



/ Upper-parts, except base of tail and upper 



I tail-coverts, blackish or dark brown. . (E. leucura, p. 446 



I Upper-parts spotted ...... (E. cenanthe, deserti, 



I j hispanica, pleschanka, 



I and isabellina in juv. plumage 



Upper-parts isabelline, grey, whitish or 

 brownish, or parti-coloured, but neither 

 uniform blackish nor spotted . . 2 



Interscapular region ashy-grey, upper wing- 



coverts black. ...... (E. cenanthe, <$ ad., p. 426 



Interscapular region and upper wing-coverts 



black ........ (E. pleschanka, <$ ad., p. 441 



Interscapular region white or isabelline, 



scapulars and upper wing-coverts black . (E. hispanica, <J ad., p. 435 

 Interscapular region and all or at least 



inner wing-coverts brown or isabelline 3 



Less than half of outer tail-feathers white . (E. deserti, p. 431 



More than half of outer tail-feathers white 4 



* The Wheatears have, for a long time, been called Saxicola without due 

 consideration of facts, and it has even been stated that Motacilla cenanthe 

 is the genotype " by subsequent designation " of Gray, 1841. This designa- 

 tion, however, was anticipated by Swainson, who, in 1827, designated Motacilla 

 rubicola as the genotype. Thus the name Saxicola must be used for the 

 Chats, which is lucky in so far as the usual name Pratincola is not available, 

 because of its use for the Pratincoles in 1798, eighteen years before. By the 

 method of elimination Saxicola also becomes the generic title for the Chats, 

 and not for the Wheatears. The next oldest name for the latter is (Enanthe 

 Vieillot, 1816, type by tautonymy Motacilla cenanthe L. E.H. 



