225 



bitants. I found new nests in process of construction as early as January. The fragments of 

 eggs which I picked up are, as might have been expected, of a blue colour." This gentleman 

 likewise met with this Chat in Palestine, and, writing on the ornithology of that country, states 

 that upon a rolling plain to the south of Moladah " I believe we secured about a dozen in an 

 hour; and the birds were not in flocks, but in scattered pairs. Yet it has nowhere been dis- 

 covered in the intervening 1500 miles between its two known habitats. We never saw it after- 

 wards ; and the scrub where it resided cannot be more than ten miles in extent. It has been 

 subjected to a divorcing process in its nomenclature. The female used to stand alone in the 

 Berlin Museum marked Saxicola riifice/ps ; and again, unless I mistake, Sig. De Filippi has 

 renamed a female specimen Bromokea clirysopygia" We have carefully compared De Filippi's 

 original description of the Chat obtained by him at Demavend, in Persia, and named B. chryso- 

 pygia, and consider with Canon Tristram that it is referable to the female of the present species. 



Canon Tristram is the fortunate possessor of the eggs of this species, and kindly sends the 

 following notes on its habits and nidification : — " I do not know what I can add about Saocicola 

 philothamna to the few notes in 'The Ibis' for 1859 and 1867. Its habits are peculiar; and its 

 being restricted to open, scrubby, and not bare districts, is to be noticed — also its perching more 

 after the fashion of a Whinchat, on the top of a bush, than like a Wheatear, on the ground or on 

 a rock. It builds under a bush-root, in a commodious spacious hole, made, I presume, by some 

 large lizard, and having two entrances. The egg is large for the bird, measuring 24 by 18 milli- 

 metres, and is very delicate bluish white, sprinkled all over with very fine reddish spots." 



The specimens figured are Canon Tristram's types, and are in winter-plumage ; the adult 

 male in summer-plumage we have described was obtained in Algeria by Loche, the date of 

 capture not being stated, and is now in Dresser's collection. This latter bird will be found 

 figured on another Plate. 



'c'- 



In the preparation of the above article we have examined the following specimens : — 



E Mm. H. E. Dresser. 



a, <$ (est. Algerian Sahara (Loche). b, c, 6 cest. Algeria (Fairmaire). 



E Mus. II. B. Tristram. 



a, <$ , b, 2- A'in el Ibel, Algeria, November 8th, 1856 (H. B. T.), types, c, tf • El Aghouat, Algeria, November 

 26th, 1856 (H. B. T.). d, ? . El Aghouat, November 20th, 1856 [H. B. T.). e, 6,f, ?. Beersheba, 

 Palestine, February 2nd, 1864 {H. B. T.). 



E Mus. J. H. Gumey, jun. 

 a, 6 ■ Tibrem, Algeria, Fehruary 5th, 1870 (/. H. G.,jun.). 



2e2 



