Novt!LTiES. — Saxicola Alboniger. 3 



never occul'S ; it is there^ curiously enough^ replaced by a much 

 smaller, but in many respects similar, species, Saxicola Capis- 

 trata. Now the remarkable thing- is, that in the plains where 

 Capistrafa occurs, there also occurs Picata : but in the localities 

 where Monacha occurs, there we find another bird very similar 

 in plumage to Picata, but much larger in every way. I am, 

 I confess, unable to prove it, but, as I have long since stated, 

 I am strongly inclii^ed to believe S. Ca.jnstrata and *S'. Picata 

 to be different stages of the same species. At any rate I can 

 shew an apparently almost perfect series between the two. I 

 am also (so similar are they in size, length, and bill, &c.,) inclined 

 to believe that possibly the apparently new Saxicola which I am 

 about to characterize, may be a different stage of S. Monacha. 

 Prom Picata, which it closely resembles, it is distinguished at 

 once by its much larger size, longer bill, and the greater extent 

 of white upon the back, as well as its much stronger and larger 

 legs and feet. This species may be Leiicopygia, (Brehm,) from 

 Palestine, of which I can find no description ; but for the present 

 I must give it some name, and I therefore provisionally christen 

 it S. Alboniger. The sexes are perfectly similar as to plumage, 

 but differ as to size, the males being considerably larger. 



Bimensions. — Male; length, 7*75 inches ; tail, 2"8 to 3 inches ; 

 wing, 4'1 to 4'25 inches; bill at front, '65 inch; tarsus, 1"1 inch. 

 Female; length, 6*5 to 6'75 inches; wing, 3"8 to 4 inches ; 

 tail, 2*75 to 2*9 inches ; bill at front, 0*56 to nearly 0*6 inch. 



The plumage is very similar to Picata, but the black is, I 

 think, even brighter and more intense. The tail agrees with 

 Picata and not with Monacha in having the tips of all the lateral 

 tail feathers black. The black, however, in Alboniger only 

 covers the chin and throat, whereas in Picata it descends some- 

 what on the breast. The sides of the breast are black in both 

 species. On the back again the black does not extend as far 

 down as Picata. In the latter species, measuring from the tips 

 of the longest tail coverts to where the black of the back com- 

 mences, we have about 1"6 inch of white, while in Alboniger 

 there are 2 inches of white, measuring in both cases fine males. 

 In the female Alboniger, the length of the white on the back is 

 about ],"8 inch. Whether actually new or not, this species is 

 certainly new to our Indian. Avifauna. 



For eompai'ison I subjoin measurements of S. Picata, (taken 

 from eight males and ten females measured in the flesh) of 

 which the sexes do not differ in size so materially. Length, 6' 25 

 to 6-81 inches; tail, 2-25 to 2"75 inches; wing, 3*4 to 3'75 

 inches ; bill at front, 0*45 to 0-55 inch, (one exceptional specimen 

 almost 0-6 inch;) tarsus, 0*9 to 1 inch. 



