PRATINCOLA 47 



Hub. Eastern Turkestan, Kansu, along the Himalayas on the 

 one side and the Chotan-tagh to Gilgit on the other, wintering 

 in Northern India. 



This is the form hitherto known under the name of P. 

 rdbusla, but as shewn by Mr. Hume (Str. Feath. 1881, p. 320) 

 Dr. Tristram's name will not stand, and it has therefore 

 been renamed by Mr. Pleske. In habits it does not apparently 

 differ from P. maura but nothing is known of its breeding 

 habits. 



72. WHITE-TAILED STONECHAT. 

 PRATINCOLA HEMPRICHI. 



Pratmcola hempriehi, (Ehr.) Symb. Phys. Aves. fol. a. a. (1828) ; 

 Dresser, ii. p. 273 ; Sharps, Cat. B. Br. Mas. iv. p. 193. 



< ad. (Abyssinia). Kesembles P. rubicola, but is paler and lias the 

 middle tail-feathers white at the base and the rest white on the basal third. 



Oilmen 0'45, wing, 2*85, tail 2'0, tarsus 0*85 inch. The female resembles 

 P. rubicola but is paler and has the base of the tail buffy white. 



Hob. South-eastern Europe as far north as the Ural; 

 Turkestan, Persia, (according to De Filippi); and north-east 

 Africa where it is said to be resident as far south as Abyssinia 

 and Bogos-Land. 



In general habits it is said not to differ from P. rubicola, but 

 its nest and eggs do not appear to be known. 



73. PIED STONECHAT. 

 PRATINCOLA CAPRATA. 



Pratincola caprata, (Linn.) Syst. Nat. i. p. 335 (1766) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. 

 Br. Mus. iv. p. 195 : Gates, F. Brit. Ind. Birds, ii. p. 59 ; Dresser, 

 ix. p. 33, pi. 641. 



g ad. (Kashmir). Lower rump, upper and under tall-coverts, lower 

 abdomen, and an alar patch white ; rest of plumage bill and legs deep black ; 

 iris brown. Culmen 0'5, wing 2*75, tail 21, tarsus O82 inch. The female 

 has the upper parts dark greyish brown indistinctly darker striped ; rump 

 and upper tail-coverts dark rust-red ; under parts wood-brown very indis- 

 tinctly streaked j abdomen and under tail-coverts rusty-buff. In the 

 autumn the male has the black feathers more or less margined with rusty- 

 brown. The young birds are fulvous brown mottled with dusky ; in the 

 young male the white alar patch is present from the earliest period. 



Hob. Transcaspia, Afghanistan, Persia, and India as far east as 

 Burma, and in winter ranges as far south as the Philippines and 

 Java. 



