CHATS 27 



The Mountain Chat {S. monticola) is chiefly remarkable 

 for the puzzling phases of plumage through which the male 

 passes — ^from brownish-black with the rump regions and 

 the basal portion of the tail-feathers, except the two centre 

 ones, white (this is the plumage of the female throughout) 

 to grey, and greyish-white with white shoulders. Length, 

 8 inches. 



It is a common bird in the dryer portions of South Africa, 

 from the Middle and Western Cape Colony northwards. 



It is a lover of rocky localities, being found in the dreariest 

 of places. 



It nests under rocks or on a ledge of a bank, and lays 

 pale blue-green eggs which are sometimes plain and sometimes 

 speckled with reddish-purple. 



The. Capped Wheatear {S. pileata) is the Schaap-wachter 

 (Shepherd) of the Dutch. It resembles the Buff-streaked 

 Chat at first sight, but can easily be recognised by its rufous- 

 brown back and broad black chest-band. Length, Cl- 

 inches. 



It is a tame, confiding bird and is fond of the neighbour- 

 hood of buildings and kraals. It differs from the Buff- 

 streaked Chat in habits in preferring fiat open stretches to 

 more mountainous regions. It builds a flat, saucer-shaped 

 nest of hair and grass in a hole, and lays eggs of a pale greeny- 

 white colour. 



This is a fairly common bird in the Brandfort and Spring- 

 fontein districts. Orange Free State. 



The Familiar Chat {S. jamilians), the Spekvreter (Bacon- 

 eater) of the Boers, is reddish-brown above, and huffish 

 below. It is fairly well distributed throughout South 

 Africa, and seems to prefer the neighbourhood of farm- 

 houses and cattle-kraals, eating bacon and fat from the 



