46 PRATINCOLA 



alar patch small, and the under parts more yellowish. The young bird is 

 blackish brown above, striated with dull ochreous, upper tail-coverts 

 rufous ; wings and tail feathers margined with rufous buff ; under parts 

 ochreous indistinctly striped. 



Hob. Europe from southern Sweden, where it is a mere 

 straggler, down to the Mediterranean, and east to the valley of 

 the Volga. In winter, Africa as far south as Senegal. 



Frequents the same localities as the Whinchat, but as a rule 

 seldom damp places, and its food is the same as that species'. 

 Its call note is a sharp tak, tak, and its song though short is 

 agreeable. Its nest which is constructed of dry grass and moss, 

 lined with hair, feathers, and occasionally wool, is placed on the 

 ground, usually under a bush, and well concealed. The eggs 

 4 to 6 in number are pale greenish blue spotted, chiefly at the 

 larger end, with reddish brown, and are usually deposited in 

 April or May. Two broods are usually raised in the season. 



70. IXDIAX STOXECHAT. 

 PRATINCOLA MAURA. 



Pralincola maura (Pall.) Eeis. Russ. Reichs. ii. p. 708, (1773) ; Sharpe, 

 Cat. B. Br. Mus. iv. p. 188 ; Gates, F. Brit. Ind. Birds, ii. p. 61 ; 

 P. indica, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xvi. p. 129 ; Gould B. of Asia. iv. 

 pi. 34. 



ad. Differs from P. rubicola in having the tail-coverts pure white 

 unspotted, the under wing-coverts and axillaries much blacker and in 

 being somewhat smaller in size. Culmen 0*52, wing 2'65, tail T97, tarsus 

 0'8 inch. 



Hob. The extreme east of Europe ; and Asia as far east as 

 Japan, north to the Yenesei valley, wintering throughout the 

 Indian peninsula south to Mysore. 



In general habits and nidification it does not differ from 

 P. rubicola. 



71. SUBSP. PRATIXCOLA PRJEVALSKII. 



Pratincola prjevalsldi^ Pleske, Prjevalsky's Reisen, Vogel, p. 47, Taf. iv. 

 fig. 1, 2, 3, (1889) ; P. robusta, Tristr. Ibis, 1870, p. 497, (partim). 



<t . ad. Differs from P. maura in being larger, having a longer tail, the 

 white patch on the neck smaller, the rusty -red on the breast deeper in 

 colour and more extended, covering almost the entire abdomen. Cul- 

 men 0*6, wing 2 '82, tail 2'2 5 tarsus 0*95 inch. The female is more 

 rufous in colouration than P. maura. 



