26 DESERT-WHEATEAR. 
zina); and an adult male in full breeding-plumage, June 23rd 
1880. The above appear to be the only notices of the occurrence 
of the Desert-Wheatear in Europe. 
As the name implies, this species is to be found in dry, sandy 
regions, such as North Africa, Egypt, Nubia, Arabia, Palestine, 
Persia, Afghanistan, the plains of Turkestan up to an elevation of 
over 12,000 feet, and the mountain ranges to the north of Kashmir. 
In winter the bird occurs in North-western India, Scind, Baluchistan, 
Southern Persia, Somali-land and Abyssinia. Mr. J. H. Gumey 
describes it as the most universally distributed member of the genus 
in the Algerian Sahara. 
The nest of the Desert-Wheatear is placed in crevices of rocks, 
walls of wells, in burrows, or under bushes. The eggs are of a 
greenish-blue, paler than those of the Black-throated Wheatear, with 
liver-coloured spots round the larger end: measurements *75 by 
‘5 in. The food appears to be ants and other insects ; the stomach 
of the bird shot at Alloa contained small flies. In its movements this 
species is even more restless than the Common Wheatear; and its 
song is said to be short and pleasing. The individuals observed by 
Mr. J. H. Gurney were estimated by him as being in the proportion 
of about eight in male plumage to one in female dress. 
The male in spring has the crown sandy-grey, shading into buff on 
the back and lower wing-coverts ; secondaries, brown in the centre, 
with pale margins; primaries blackish, with light margins to the 
inner webs, very conspicuous on the underside; under wing-coverts 
and axillaries black tipped with white ; tail-coverts white ; ¢az/ black, 
almost to the base; under parts white, washed with buff on the 
breast ; throat and sides of neck to the shoulders black ; a whitish 
streak above and behind the eye. Bill, legs and feet black; the 
latter small for the size of the bird. Length 5°6 in. ; wing to the tip 
of 3rd and longest quill 3°6 in. The female is duller and greyer on 
the upper parts ; the wings are brown, the under surface is buff, and 
the black throat is absent ; but the large amount of black in the tail 
is always a feature. The young is like that of S. s¢apazina, except 
for its characteristic blackish-brown tail. 
The members of this group are frequently denominated ‘Chats,’ 
but I have used the term ‘Wheatear’ to emphasize the difference 
between the longer-tailed, white-rumped species, and the shorter- 
tailed, streaked-rumped ‘ Bush-chats’ of the genus Pratincola. 
