SAXICOLA 37 



Hob. South-western Europe from Portugal to Italy ; Morocco 

 and Algeria, migrating south at the approach of winter ; has 

 strayed as far north as Heligoland and has once occurred in 

 England, near Bury in Lancashire, 8th of May, 1875. 



In general habits it resembles the common Wheatear, but 

 affects more arid and stony localities than that species, and 

 is shy and difficult of approach. It feeds on insects of 

 various kinds and is said to occasionally eat berries. Its 

 nest is loosely constructed of dried grass-bents and lined with 

 hair and is usually placed in a hole in an old wall or rock. The 

 eggs, 4 or 5 in number, are deposited in May and are pale 

 bluish green marked with rusty-red, and in size are rather 

 smaller than those of S. omanthe. 



55. BLACK-THROATED WHEATEAR. 



SAXICOLA MELANOLEUCA. 



Saxicola melanoleuca (Giild.), Nov. Com. Petr. xix. p. 468, pi. 15 (1775) ; 

 Dresser, ii. p. 211, pis. 26, 25, fig. 1 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 

 385 ; S. xantlwmelcma et S. eurymelcena, Elir. Symb. Phys. (1828). 



ad. (Asia Minor). Differs from S. stapazina only in the black on the 

 throat less extended, and the white portions of the plumage are much 

 purer white, and it passes through exactly the same stages of plumage as 

 that species. 



Hob. South-eastern Europe and western Asia, ranging from 

 Greece through south Russia, the Crimea, Asia Minor, and 

 Persia, as far east as Yarkand, and migrating for the winter to 

 Egypt, Nubia, and Abyssinia. 



Does not differ from S. stapazina in habits or nidification. 

 Its nest which is usually rather large is constructed of grass- 

 bents and rootlets and is placed in a cleft of a rock, in carefully 

 selected almost inaccessible places, and its 4 or 5 eggs resemble 

 those of S. stapazina, but are as a rule somewhat brighter in 

 colour and more richly marked. 



56. BLACK-EARED WHEATEAR. 

 SAXICOLA ALBICOLLIS. 



Saxicola albicollis (Vieill.), Nouv. Diet. xxi. p. 424 (1818) ; S. aurita 

 Temm. Man. d'Orn. i. p. 241 (1820) ; Gould, B. of E. ii. pi. 92 ; 

 Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 394 ; S. stapazina, Dresser, ii. p. 203, 

 pi. 23 ; S. rufescens, Savi, Orn. Tosc. i. p. 223 (1827) ; Naumann, 

 xiii. p. 134, Taf. 376. 



