More about the Moimtain-Chat.



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MORE ABOUT THE MOUNTAIN-CHAT.


Saxicola monticola.


By Dr. A. G. Butler.


It will be remembered that, when sending me a pair of this

species Major Horsbrngh promised, in the event of their living,

to forward all his notes on the species for publication in the

Magazine.


In August I received a letter in which Major Horsbrugh

says:—“ I am so sorry to hear the cock is dead, as the changes in

plumage would have been most interesting to watch.


“ I did not send you any notes, as the last letter I had

from you informed me that the birds had only been with you a

few hours and I took it for granted you would write again ; not

hearing from you I concluded the birds were dead.


“The pair I sent you were hatched in an empty paraffin

tin which I found lying on the veldt. The nest was a very large

affair and was chiefly constructed of mud. It contained three

eggs when I found it, and, owing to the heavy rains which had

just fallen, was very wet indeed.


“ When I took the youngsters on Nov. 26th, —07, there

was no trace of the third egg.


“The father of these birds had a white cap and black

body, but no white stomach, and I have found males breeding in

all the last six stages of plumage mentioned in your article.


“ The male bird I sent you was getting grey at his first

moult, which apparently upsets the remarks on page 194, Sclater

and Stark.”


“The cock had just assumed this plumage on March 5,

when he left here for England. From my notes I see, that

another cock bird, one of a brood of two, was reared in the

Garrison Club, Potchefstroom, and these two birds have haunted

the Club verandah up to date (March 5th). This cock bird has

white stomach, grey cap and white shoulder-knots with black

body, just like a bird I received in Bloemfontein that had a

similar plumage at its first moult.


“ Do you agree with me that in this species there must be

two colour phases for the male bird, all my observations tend to

prove this theory?”



