404 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST, SOCIETY, Vol, XXVIII. 
119. Pied Bush-Chat. Saxicola caprata., 
Zarudny lists this as an accidental straggler to the Karun district, It pre- 
sumably would belong to the race rossorum which occurs in Transcaspia and 
Persia, etc. 
120. Common Redstart. Phoenicurus phenicurus. 
(1) Phenicurus phenicurus phenicurus, L. (Syst. Nat. Ed. x., p. 187, 
1758—Sweden). 
(2) Phenicurus phenicurus mesoleuca, Hemp. and Erh, (Symb. 
Phys. fol. ee., 1832—Jedda in Arabia). 
In dealing with the Redstarts I have largely to go by specimens obtained, as 
the notes are meagre and observers not only mixed these two races up but also 
certainly mixed the Common Redstart up with the eastern form of the Black 
Redstart (phenicuroides). The males of mesoleuca are easily distinguishable 
in the field by the white edging to the secondaries from the common form ; in 
all males of the Black Redstart the black comes further down on the breast ; 
and in both sexes the sixth primary is emarginate which is not the case in the 
common Redstarts; the female Black Redstarts are on the whole darker than 
the female of the Common Redstarts, but are almost impossible to differentiate 
in the field. 
(i) This race arrives during the first week of April, a few perhaps earlier, and 
its time of passage lasts the whole month. Pitman noted a big migration, 
through Feluja on April 18th and all had gone by the first week in May ; males 
predominated as also noted by Weigold at Urfa, where during the second and 
third weeks of April this was one of the commonest birds. The return passage 
appears to be late, there is no record before the first week in October, they are 
then common up to mid-November. Possibly scme over winter as Cumming 
records one on February 25th at Bushire and Zarudny gives it as a winter 
visitor ; several observers thought they saw it in winter; the vast majority how- 
ever appear to be passage migrants. 
Nine skins examined: ¢, Amara, 3-4-18, 25-10-17; Kumait, 14-11-17 (P.A.B.); 
3, Kazimain, 9-4-19 (P. Z. C. and R. E, C.); ¢, Sulimania, 15-11-19 (Ross) ; 
Shat-al-Adhaim, 18-11-17, 2, 22-10-17 (C. R. P.); 2, Baghdad, 10-11-17; 
©, Basra, 24-4-18 (Venning), 
(ii) Passage migrant, arriving in the middle of March; noted at Amara on 
13th, Basra on 17th, where males were not uncommon, Shuteit R. 26th, Ahwaz, 
30th, Pitman saw a few at the end of March and early April. Cumming says 
it occurs at Fao in April, May and June, and Zarudny gives it as a passage 
migrant and winter visitor to the Karun district. We have no winter records. 
Specimens examined: §, Amara 13-3-18 (P. A. B.); &, Basra, 17-3-18, 
19-3-18 (C. B. T.). 
121. Black Redstart. Phoenicurus ochruros. 
(i) Phenicurus ochruros ochruros, Gmel, (Reise d. Russland. iii, 
p. 101, 1774—Mountains of Persia). 
(ii) Phenicurus ochruros pheenicuroides, Moore (P. Z. 8., London, xxii. 
p. 25, 1855—Northern India) (I restrict this to Shikarpore ia Sind). 
Both races of Black Redstart are common winter visitors to our area; they 
apparently arrive towards the end of October, perhaps earlier, and most leave 
the plains by the second week in March, They are usually found singly, inhabit- 
ing old ruins, ravines, trenches or open country and are more wary and shy 
than common Redstarts. It appears from the specimens obtained that the 
cemmon Black Redstart from Mosul to below Baghdad is ochruros and there 
are no certain records of phenicuroides in this area, whereas below Baghdad 
ochruros is scarce and there are plenty of specimens of phanicuroides thence : 
both however occur at Shustar and Zarudny lists both in the Karun district 
