40 8AXICOLA 



In its habits it is lively and by no means shy, and is essen- 

 tially a desert bird. Its song is simple and short, but pleasant. 

 Its nest, which is placed on the ground under stones, or in a 

 hole, is somewhat large and loosely constructed of grass-bents 

 and plant-stems, and lined with wool, hair, and feathers ; the 

 eggs, 3 to 6 in number, are deposited in April or May, and are 

 pale blue green finely spotted with reddish brown and pale 

 violet, and measure about 078 by 0'59. 



60. SUBSP. SAXICOLA MONTANA. 



Saxicola montana, Gould, B. of Asia, iv. pi. 30 (1865) ; Seebohm, Cat. 

 B. Br. Mus. v. p. 384 ; Gates, F. Brit. Ind. Birds, ii. p. 78. 



$ ad. (E. Turkestan). Differs from 8. deserti, in having the inner 

 web of the quills pure \vhite quite up to the shaft, and in being a trifle 

 larger in size. Culmen 0'74, wing 4'0, tail 2*75, tarsus 1*1 inch. 



Hob. Eastern Turkestan, Tibet ; in winter Kashmir, 

 Afghanistan, Baluchistan, and the island of Socotra. 



Does not differ from S. deserti in general habits and ni- 

 clification, being in fact merely an eastern form of that species. 



61. RED-HUMPED WHEATEAR.. 

 SAXICOLA XANTHOPRYMNA. 



Saxicola xanthoprymna, Ehr. Symb. Phys. fol. d.d. (1828) ; Dresser, ii. 

 p. 229, pis. 31, 32, fig. 1 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 381 ; S. 

 erythropygia, Taylor, Ibis. 1867 ; S. ma } sto, Dresser (nee. Licht.), 

 ii. p. 227. 



<J ad. (Nubia). Upper parts brownish grey ; frontal and superciliary 

 lines white ; wings dull brown the feathers lighter margined ; lower back, 

 upper and under tail-coverts rufous ; tail as in S. cenanthe ; throat, sides of 

 head, and neck jet black ; under parts whitish, the flanks washed with 

 rufous ; under wing-coverts black ; bill and legs black ; iris brown. 

 Culmen O6, wing 3'7, tail 2'7, tarsus 0*95 inch. In the female the upper 

 parts are smoky brown, the rufous parts of the plumage orange rufous ; 

 cheeks and throat dull white, the bases of the feathers blackish. 



This one of the rarest of the Wheatears is only known to in- 

 habit Egypt and Nubia, where it is probably resident, and 

 absolutely nothing is known of its habits or nidification, indeed 

 only very few specimens are known to have been obtained up to 

 the present time. 



