SAXICOLA 31 



tail-feathers white at base, otherwise black, remaining rectrices white, 

 terminated with black ; rest of the plumage white ; bill and legs black ; 

 iris brown. Culmen 0'7, wing 3*9, tail 2'59, tarsus 0'7 inch. The female 

 is said to resemble that of the Eastern pied chat, but to have the throat 

 white. The young male has the crown obscured by dirty grey, the black 

 portions of the plumage tinged with brown and the underparts washed 

 with buff. 



Hdb. Transcaspia, Turkestan, and Gilgit, migrating for the 

 winter to Arabia and Abyssinia. 



It is said to breed in North Western Turkestan, but nothing 

 is on record respecting its nidification, and but little is known 

 of its habits. 



45. PIED WHEATS AR. 

 SAXICOLA LUGENS. 



Saxicola lugens, Licht. Verz. Doubl. p. 33, (1823), Seebohm, Cat. B. 

 Br. Mus. v. p. 370 ; S. leucomela, (Pall.), Dresser, ii. p. 231, pi. 33, 

 fig. 2 ; S. erythrcea, id. ii. p. 219, pis. 28, 29 ; Koenig, J. f. 0. 

 (1895), p. 206, Tabb. iv. v. fig. 1 ; S. persica, Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. 

 Mus. v. p. 372 (1881). 



ad. (Egypt). Crown, nape, rump, upper tail-coverts and basal part 

 of tail, breast, and abdomen white, the crown tinged with grey ; back 

 wings, sides of head, and neck, throat and upper flanks black ; central 

 tail-feathers white at base, otherwise black, remaining tail-feathers white 

 broadly tipped with black, all with narrow terminal white tips ; under 

 wing-coverts and axillaries black, inner quill-webs white ; under tail- 

 coverts pale rufous ; legs and beak black ; iris brown. Culmen 0*7, wing 

 3'75, tail 2-75, tarsus 1-0 inch. The female has the black replaced by 

 brown, the head and 1 nape washed with isabelline ; entire under parts 

 nearly white, the under tail-coverts washed with buff. The young male 

 resembles the female but has the lores, ear-coverts, and cheeks nearly 

 black, the throat varying from grey to dull black. 



Hob. N. Africa from Algeria to Egypt ; Nubia, Abyssinia, 

 Arabia, Palestine, ranging east to Shiraz in Persia, and Sind. 

 In habits it does not differ from its allies. It breeds in April 

 and May, its nest being usually placed in a hole in the ground, 

 and well concealed. Its eggs 5 to 6 in number, are deep 

 blue-green spotted and blotched with reddish-brown. 



Saxicola persica, of which I have examined the type, does not 

 appear to me to be separable from this species. 



