BLACK WHEATEAR. 121 



I tliiiik tliat tliose wlio arc familiar with tlie habits 

 of this class, will at once admit the propriety of 

 Cabanis's separation of the genus Dromolcea from the 

 old one of Saxicola. Strong as are the structural affin- 

 ities throughout the whole, the manners of the living 

 birds are in marked contrast. Wherever there are 

 savage ravines, bare cliffs, reflecting a burning glare on 

 the hungry valley, rent chasms, fearful in the unspeak- 

 able stillness which pervades the transparent atmosphere 

 around, gorges which strike the intruder with awe, as 

 though life, vegetable or animal, had never dared to 

 intrude there before, — even here may a pair of Rock 

 Chats of some species or other be detected. If a snap 

 shot has been successful, the victim generally contrives 

 to escape into some deep fissure to die, and frequently 

 it is impossible to recover the spoiL 



D. leucura is found only in the north of the Desert. 

 El'Aghouat may be considered its southern limit; and 

 it alone of the class comes up to the foot of the Atlas, 

 on the southern slopes of which it is tolerably abundant, 

 from Morocco to Tunis, breeding among the rocks, 

 building a compact nest of moss and hair, and laying 

 ordinarily four eggs, somewhat larger than those of the 

 Wheatear, of a rich deep greenish blue, covered towards 

 the larger end with rust-red blotches and spots. Its 

 song is monotonous, consisting of but three notes; but 

 the call-note is clear, loud, and musical." 



The adult male has all the upper parts, except the 

 rump, and all the lower parts, except the greater part 

 of the tail, sooty black. Wings hair brown. Rump, 

 upper tail coverts, and three-fourths of tail below, pure 

 white; two middle tail feathers black, the rest white, 

 broadly barred with dark brown at the ends. Sides 

 and beak black; tarsi glossy black. 



