saxicolin^e. 133 



tail white at base, the rest black ; chin, throat, lores, and ears, pure 

 black, extending down the sides of the neck to the shoulder ; 

 wing black, with a white patch on the bend of the wing ; beneath, 

 pale isabelline, the lower tail-coverts buffy white. 



Bill and legs black ; irides brown. Length nearly 7 inches ; 

 wing 4 ; tail 2| ; tarsus ly 1 ^ ; bill at front ^. 



The Black-throated Wheat-ear is nearly affined to S. stapazina of 

 Arabia/S. Europe, and Africa, from which it differs in having the 

 upper parts less rufous, and in the greater extent of the black of 

 the neck. It is common at Mhow, in the cold weather, frequenting 

 stones and bushes in the open plains. It is also tolerably common 

 in the Upper Provinces of India, in Sindh, the Punjab, and Afghan- 

 istan. 



A nearly allied species is S. philothamna, Tristram, figured in 

 the Ibis for 1859. Various other species of this group are found 

 in Africa, some of them extending to the South of Europe, and 

 Western Asia. One, S. lugubris, has the white head and black 

 body of leucomela, and the tail rufous, like a Ruticilla. 



The two last species of this series are remarkable for having no 

 white at the base of the tail. 



Gen. Ckrcomela, Bon. 



Char. — rBill moderate, slender, straight, tolerably curving at 

 the tip, and barely notched ; rictal bristles small but distinct ; wings 

 as in Saxicola, 2nd quill a trifle longer ; tail somewhat lengthened ; 

 feet stout, middle toe not elongated, hind toe rather long. 



This form of Stone-chat differs from Saxicola in its more sober 

 and dull tints, and in the tail not being partly white. 



493. Cercomela melanura, Rupp. 



Saxicola, apud Kuppell — Tkmm., PI. col. 257, f. 2— Blyth, 

 J. A. S. XVI., 131. 



The Black-tailed Rock chat. 



Descr. — Of an uniform ashy brown tint above, paler on the throat 

 and breast, and passing to whitish below ; under tail-coverts white ; 

 the tail and upper coverts black. 



