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THE BLACK WHEATEAR {Saxicola leucura (Gm.)) 



IN SUSSEX. 



A new British Bird. 



The presence of a pair of birds near Rye Harbour that 

 were described as " Black Wheatears " was first reported 

 to me on August 31st, 1909. On September 6th Mr. 

 Bristow informed me that he had been to the locality 

 on the 2nd and seen two birds which answered to this 

 description on the open grassland near the chemical works, 

 between the town of Rye and the Harbour, a tract of 

 land much frequented by migrating Wheatears, Wagtails, 

 Mistle-Thrushes and other birds. He chased them 

 unsuccessfully for some time, and they eventually flew 

 over the river. On the same day the male was shot by 

 one of the gunning fraternity at Rye Harbour, who are 

 always on the look-out for strange birds, and was received 

 by Mr. Bristow on the 3rd. It was seen in the flesh by 

 Mr. L. A. Curtis Edwards, and examined by me two days 

 later, after it had been stuffed. This bird is now in the 

 collection of Mr. J. B. Nichols, who has kindly lent it 

 for the purpose of producing the accompanying figure. 



On the afternoon of September 9th I paid a short visit 

 to the neighbourhood, but failed to meet with the remain- 

 ing bird, which, however, evaded the attentions of the 

 gunners until the 16th, when it was shot. On examination 

 I found that it was a female, and owing to its having been 

 badly injured by large shot was not in such good condition 

 as the male. The rusty-black colour of its plumage was 

 also in strong contrast to the jet-black coloration of the 

 first bird. 



Of the several species of chats that have a consider- 

 able amount of black in their plumage, the present species, 

 from its geographical range, is the one that is most likely 

 (or least unlikely) to wander to Britain. On August 

 11th, 1880, a bird, which Gatke considered without doubt 



