204 



feather white on the basal third, otherwise jet-black, the outermost feather similar, but the white 

 extends over about half the feather, remaining rectrices white, very broadly tipped with black ; under 

 wing-coverts black; legs and bill black; iris brown. Total length about 5-5 inches, culmen 0-62, 

 wings 35, tail 2 - 65, tarsus 10. 



Adull Male in spring (Seville, March 18th). Differs from the specimen last described in having the eentre 

 of the crown, nape, and back rich pale creamy rufous, the breast being of the same colour, but some- 

 what paler, and the entire underparts being washed with a pale rufescent tinge. 



Adult Male in autumn (Shiraz, Persia, September). Differs from the summer plumage in having the crown 

 dull brown, and the back dirty brown, intermixed with white, the secondaries and wing- coverts broadly 

 margined and slightly tipped with rufous, the primaries also having scarcely perceptible rufous tips ; 

 breast creamy rufous. 



Adult Female in summer (Smyrna, June 20th) . Differs from the male in having the crown, nape, and back 

 dull brownish grey, the patch on the side of the head and wings much duller, being brownish black, 

 not black, upper wing-coverts slightly tipped with rufous ; underparts white, marked with rufous on 

 the breast. 



Young of the year (Shiraz, September). Head and back light buffy brown, all the feathers being slightly 

 margined with darker brown, giving a sort of spotted appearance; rump and upper tail-coverts white; 

 tail as in the adult, but washed with buff at the tip ; wings blackish, the primaries narrowly, and the 

 secondaries and wing-coverts broadly margined and tipped with rufous ; breast like the back, but 

 lighter ; throat and remainder of the underparts dirty buffy white. 



Obs. As is the case with all the Chats of this group, the present species often has the white on the back 

 and breast obscured or replaced by a rich rufescent cream-tinge, which appears to form its winter 

 livery ; and in all plumages there is some slight trace of this colour either on the back or the breast. 

 An adult male, obtained at Genoa late in July, has the plumage much worn and faded, and the back 

 and breast are slightly clouded with dull rufous ochre, showing the gradual assumption of the winter 

 dress. A specimen obtained in Persia in September appears to be in full winter dress, and has the 

 crown and back dull brownish grey, the breast and underparts washed with rufous, and the secondaries 

 and wing-coverts margined with rufous. Specimens which are shot in Northern Africa on the spring 

 migration, and when they first arrive in Europe, have the entire back and breast rich rufescent cream, 

 as described above, and figured on the foreground in the Plate. 



The Black-eared Chat is found in Southern Europe, Asia Minor, Persia, and Northern Africa. 

 In France it is only met with in the southern departments, and even in Provence, where it 

 breeds, it is, Messrs. Jaubert and Barthelemy-Lapommeraye write, by no means numerous. It is 

 included by Professor Barboza du Bocage in his list of the birds of Portugal as common ; and it 

 is likewise numerous in Spain, though not so much so as the Russet Chat. Lord Lilford met 

 with it on the hills near Aranjuez; and Mr. Howard Saunders informs me that "it arrives in the 

 south of Spain towards the end of March, and commences nidification about the middle or latter 

 part of April. It appears more partial to the tablelands amongst the hills than Saxicola rufa ; 

 and I found it particularly abundant amongst the higher vineyards in Aragon." It nests, Major 

 lrby informs me, "in the cork woods near Gibraltar; but the majority pass on during March and 

 April." It does not appear to be common in Italy, as Count Salvadori merely states (J. f. O. 



