92 VERTEBRATE FAUNA OF LAKELAND 



ISABELLINE WHEATEAR. 



Saxicola isabellina (Riippell). 



The National Collection includes the only example of this 

 Chat which has hitherto been obtained in Great Britain. I sent 

 to the Ibis of January 1888 the following notice of its occur- 

 rence : ' I have pleasure in stating that an example of the 

 Isabelline Wheatear (Saxicola isabellina) was shot at Aigle Gill, 

 near Allonby, Cumberland, on the 1 1th of November 1887. The 

 bird was first observed on that day by Messrs. Thomas and 

 Richard Mann, tenauts of Aigle Gill farm. The weather was 

 fine, but dull, with a slight wind from the north. The bird made 

 its appearance in a field which Messrs. Mann were sowing with 

 corn, and was quite alone. It perched upon clods of earth, after 

 the habit of S. cenanthe, but appeared to be less lively in its 

 movements than that species. It was unsuspicious of danger, 

 and was easily approached. Having had a visit from Mr. Sen- 

 house and myself only six days earlier, when I begged my friends 

 to continue to search for doubtful Wheatears, and struck by the 

 light colour of this late bird, Messrs. Mann decided to shoot it 

 for me. It was therefore shot by Mr. Thomas Mann, and posted 

 to me the same day. I received the bird the following day in 

 fine condition, and [not having any Chats by me at the moment] 

 took it to Mr. Howard Saunders, who [was just then writing 

 the Chats for his Manual of British Birds, and] kindly pointed 

 out to me its identity with specimens of S. isabellina in his 

 possession. The bird was also examined in the flesh by Dr. R. 

 B. Sharpe, but especially by Mr. Seebohm, who compared it in 

 my presence with his extensive series of Saxicolina3. Mr. Harting 

 saw the specimen before skinning, so did Mr. G. E. Lodge, who 

 made a coloured sketch of it [now in the possession of the family 

 at Aigle Gill]. The bird was also exhibited on my behalf by 

 Mr. Howard Saunders at a meeting of the Zoological Society of 

 London on Dec. 6th [1887]. It proved upon dissection to be a 

 female, and the retention of some delicate bars upon the lower 

 breast seems to indicate that it is a bird of the year. The irides 

 were dark hazel, legs and bill black. Total length, 6 "5 ins.; 

 wing, 3f ins. The stomach was empty. . . . 



