1847.] or Little Known Species of Birds. 129 



in the only ascertained species — Ochr. nigroru/a, (Jerdon), Madr. 

 Journ. No. XXV, 266, v. Muscicapa rufula, la Fresnaye. Hab. 

 summit of Neilgherries. 



Prat'mcola, Koch. The Chats. 



1. Pr, insignis, Hodgson, n. s. General aspect much that of Pr. 

 rubicola, from which it differs in its far superior size, white throat, and 

 much larger white wing-spot. Length six inches and a half, of wing 

 three and a half, and tail two and a quarter ; bill to gape seven-eighths, 

 and tarse an inch and one-eighth. Male (in summer dress) above black ; 

 the throat, sides of the neck, upper tail-coverts, a large longitudinal 

 patch on the wings, together with the base of the primaries and greater 

 portion of their larger coverts, white ; breast bright ferruginous, the 

 belly white, a little tinged with the same : bill and feet blackish. The 

 female I have not seen. From Nepal. 



2. Pr. indica, nobis, n. s. Closely allied to the European Pr. rubi- 

 cola, with which it has been hitherto confounded : but distinguishable 

 by its longer wing, averaging two inches and three-quarters; by the 

 greater development of the white on the sides of the neck, which 

 nearly passes round the nape, leaving a narrow dark interval (instead 

 of a very broad one) ; and by the rufous-brown of the breast being 

 much weaker, and paling laterally, the flanks being commonly very 

 pale, and the lower tail-coverts pure white, or rarely a little sullied 

 with brown : in winter dress, the dorsal edgings are very whitish in old 

 males. The females, also (judging from memory of the European 

 species), are altogether much paler. Common throughout India.* 



3. Pr. caprata, (L.) : Saxicola fruticola, Horsf. ; S. bicolor et S. 

 erythropygia, Sykes ; Motacilla sylvatica (?), Tickell, II, 575. Com- 

 mon in most parts of the country, and esteemed by the natives as a 

 cage bird ; having a pleasing song, approaching to that of an English 

 Robin, but more uniformly plaintive. It is termed by them Pliidda. 



4. Pr. ferrea, Hodgson, n. s. A typical species, except that its tail 

 is longer than usual in this group. Length about five inches and three- 

 quarters, of which the tail measures two and a half; wing two inches 

 and five-eighths; bill to gape five-eighths; and tarse seven-eighths. 

 Upper-parts black, the feathers margined with ash-grey, the latter pre- 



* In Ann. Mag. N. H. 1844, p. 410, Mr. Strickland has separated the S. African 

 species previously confounded with Pr. rubicola, by the name Pr. pastor. 



