THE WESTERN BLACK-EARED WHEATEAB. 437 



and of chin and throat in black-throated examples with long buff 

 tips concealing the black to a considerable extent, wing-feathers, 

 primary -co verts and outer greater coverts browner, not jet-black 

 and with wider buff edgings, median and lesser wing-coverts with 

 much longer and buffer tips as in adult female, no constant difference 

 in white and black of tail but very rarely indeed with so little black 

 as in some adult males. The juvenile body -feathers, lesser and 

 median wing-coverts and varying number of inner greater coverts 

 are moulted July-Aug., but not wing- or tail-feathers, primary- 

 coverts or outer greater coverts. Summer. Moult as adult. 

 Abrasion has same effect as in adult but crown and mantle usually 

 browner and less pale sandy-buff and a good many edgings remain 

 on wing-coverts and wing-feathers, which become very brown 

 compared to jet-black of adult, in black-throated examples whitish 

 tips on throat do not entirely wear off. 



First winter and summer. Female. Apparently like adult 

 female. 



Measurements and structure. ^ wing 86-93 mm., tail 58-66, 

 tarsus 22-24, bill from skull 16-18 (12 measured). $ wing 85-90. 

 Primaries : 1st 1-5 mm. longer than, or occasionally equal to, 

 primary -co verts, 3rd and 4th longest, 2nd 4-7 mm. shorter, 5th 1-3 

 shorter, 6th 6-10 shorter ; 3rd to 5th emarginated outer webs. 

 Best of structure as in (E. ce. cenanthe. 



Soft parts. Bill, legs and feet black ; iris brown. 



CHARACTERS AND ALLIED FORMS. For differences of (E. h. melano- 

 leuca see under that form. Some males from western and north 

 Persia and Caucasus have black extended in continuous stripe from 

 ear-coveits to shoulder and have been separated as (E. h. gaddi, 

 but this appears to be an individual variation. More black on 

 central pair and much less black on rest of tail-feathers distinguishes 

 this species from (E. deserti which has distal two-thirds of all tail- 

 feathers black. Male of (E.p. pleschanka easily distinguished by its 

 black mantle, female decidedly more earth-brown and less sandy- 

 brown on upper -parts than (E. h. hispanica and lower part of throat 

 and upper- breast darker, but rarely some females of (E. p. pleschanka 

 are very difficult to distinguish from some females of (E. h. melano- 

 leuca, though mantle of latter is usually buffer and less earth-brown 

 and breast more sandy-buff and less brown. Juveniles of these 

 two species cannot be distinguished with certainty. 



FIELD -CHARACTERS. A typical Wheatear, but colours contrast 

 much more strongly than in Common Wheatear. Habits and 

 general effect in eared form very similar, but grey on crown and 

 back of male replaced by pale creamy-brown. Male of black- 

 throated form is readily distinguished from Pied Wheatear by ite 

 creamy (not black) back and from Desert-Wheatear by its black 

 wings and white on tail. White rump in all stages noticeable in 



