231 



SAXICOLA LEUCOMELA. 



(PIED CHAT.) 



Motacilla leucomela, Pall. Nov. Com. Petr. xiv. p. 584. no. 6, pi. 22. fig. 3 (1770). 



Muscicapa leucomela (Pall.), Lath. Ind. Orn. i. p. 469. no. 7 (1790). 



Sylvia leucomela (Pall.), Temm. Man. d'Orn. p. 138 (1815). 



(Enanthe pleschanka, Vieill. Nouv. Diet. xxi. p. 423 (1818). 



Saxicola leucomela (Pall.), Temm. Man. d'Orn. i. p. 243 (1820). 



Saocicola lugens, Licht. Verz. Doubl. p. 33 (1823). 



Vitiflora leucomela (Pall.), Bp. Comp. List, p. 16 (1838). 



Saxicola atricollis, v. Mull. Naumannia, 1851, iv. p. 28. 



\Saxicola capistrata, Gould, B. of Asia, part xvii. & pi. (1865). 



Figurm notabiles. 



Temm. PI. Col. 257. fig. 3 ; HVerner, Atlas, Insectivores, pi. 72 ; Gould, B. of Eur. pi. 89 ; 

 Bree, B. of Eur. ii. pi. to p. 133. 



c? ad. pileo et nucha albis, illo griseo adumbrate- : dorso, tectricibus alarum, gula, gutture, et capitis collique 

 pectorisque lateribus nigerrimis : remigibus nigris in pogonio interno conspicue albido marginatis, 

 secundariis vix albido apicatis : uropygio et supracaudalibus albis : rectricibus centralibus dimidio 

 basali albis, dimidio apicali nigris, reliquis albis late nigro apicatis : pectore et corpore imo subtiis albis, 

 subcaudalibus pallide rufis : subalaribus et axillaribus nigris. 



$ ad. haud a mare distinguenda. 



Adult Male (Egypt) . Crown and nape white, the former washed with dull grey ; rump, upper tail-coverts, 

 tail, except at the terminal portion, breast, and abdomen pure white ; back, scapulars, wing-coverts, 

 sides of the head and neck, extending just above the eye, throat, and Tipper parts of the flanks jet-black ; 

 quills blackish, broadly margined on the inner web with white, showing a white surface when the 

 wings are opened ; secondaries narrowly tipped with white ; central tail-feather white on the basal, 

 black on the terminal half; remaining rectrices white, broadly tipped with black, all having a very 

 narrow white tip ; under tail-coverts pale rufous ; under wing-coverts and axillaries black ; beak and 

 legs black; iris dark brown. Total length 6'4< inches, culmen - 7, wing 3 - 75, tail 2 - 75, tarsus 1"0. 



Adult Female (Jericho, 30th December). Precisely similar to the male, but, if any thing, slightly duller in 

 colour. 



Nestling (Astrachan) . Head and back dull earth-brown, the feathers edged with rufous ; wings blackish, 

 all the feathers bordered and tipped with light reddish brown ; tail black, broadly tipped with rufous- 

 buff; rump and upper tail-coverts white ; underparts dull yellowish buff, on the breast and throat 

 darker, and marked with dull brown. 



Obs. Judging from the series before me, it would seem that very old specimens do not in the least differ 



