324 THE BIRDS OF GILGIT. 



the black more intense and shining than in S. picata, especially 

 on the throat. On the whole it is a shorter and more slender 

 bird than S. picata, but has an equally long wing. Messrs. 

 Dresser and Blanford are wrong in supposing that the female 

 is like the male : it closely resembles the female of S. picata 

 as figured in Gould's " Birds of Asia" in the plate of Dromolcea 

 picata; but the bill and feet are similarly weaker as in the 

 males, the upper parts are more rufous-isabelline instead of 

 hair-brown, and there is a well marked, though narrow, pale 

 supercilium and frontal band ; the whole head is paler and 

 more rufous than the back, whereas in S. picata the head and 

 back are alike. 



The younger male closely resembles the female, except in 

 having the fore neck and upper part of the breast black mottled 

 with rufous. 



S. morio was first seen on April 22nd ; in May and June it 

 was tolerably common, but never seen in great numbers. 



78— Saxicola vittata,* Hempr. 8f Ehr. (4915). 



Two specimens referred to this species were procured by 

 Dr. Scully. The first, a male, shot on June 11th, agrees well with 

 Mr. Blanford's description of the type, but differs slightly in 

 size. Length, 6*1 inches ; expanse, 105 ; wing, 3*6 ; tail, 2*4; 

 tarsus, 0'9; bill from gape, 08 ; bill from front, '5. The crown 

 and nape are slightly sullied with brown, as iu some specimens 

 of S. morio; chin, throat, and breast pure white. 



The female is much paler than the female of S. morio, but 

 has the chin and throat dirty white, and has no supercilium.. 

 Length, 5*8 inches ; expanse, 106 ; wing, 8*45 ; tail, 2'6 ' 

 tarsus, 0*9 ; bill from gape, 08 ; bill from front, 0'47. 



* [This species is new to our Indian list, and must therefore be described. I have 

 seen no Gilgit specimen. A great number of Gilgit birds were in Mr. Mandelli's collec- 

 tion, but this was not amongst the number, and we had no specimen in our Museum. 

 I must, therefore, avail myself of Mr. Seebohm's description. His diagnosis is — 

 Saxicola Vittatus — 



" Throat white or nearly so. 



" Base of tail feathers white. 

 " Back aud scapulars black. 



" Desceiption — 



" Adult male in breeding plumage. — Head and nape, extending on to the upper back, 

 greyish white ; lores and ear-coverts black ; the rest of the back and scapulars black ; 

 wings and wing-coverts nearly black ; rump and upper tail-coverts white ; tail white, 

 except the terminal two-thirds of the two centre feathers, and the terminal fourth of 

 the remainder, which are black ; the black tip on the outside feathers extended to half 

 the length of the feather on the outside webs ; under parts white; axillaries and 

 under wing-coverts black; inner margin of quills dark-brown ; bill, legs, feet, and 

 claws black ; wing, with the third and fourth primaries, nearly equal and longest ; 

 second primary intermediate in length between the fifth and sixth; bastard primary 

 6 inch. Length of wing, 3'9 inches ; tail, 2-55 ; culmen, 07 ; tarsus, 07. 



" The female differs from the male in having the black parts replaced by brown, and 

 in having the head and nape suffused by brown." — A. O, H] 



