PIED WHEATEAK. 135 



bird, and you will find an intermediate gradation. Are 

 they not all races of the same species?" 



The Pied Wheatear has habits very similar to its 

 congeners. It builds in the clefts of rocks, sometimes 

 in old churches, and occasionally, according to Nordmann, 

 among heaps of stones. Temminck says it also builds 

 in the banks of rivers, in the holes made by wasps. 

 It lays four or five eggs, having the general character 

 of those of the family. ' Its food is beetles and other 

 insects. 



The adult male in breeding plumage has the summit 

 of the head, nape, rump, lower part of chest, and 

 abdomen, pure white; side of the head, throat, front 

 of neck, space between the eyes and beak, and greater 

 wing coverts, sooty black. Wings brown, the secon- 

 daries slightly bordered with white. Tail white for 

 two-thirds of its length, the end and two middle tail 

 feathers black; under tail coverts light russet; beak, 

 feet, and iris, black. 



The female is ashy brown above, with a paler tint 

 on the head; ashy below, with the eyebrows and throat 

 white. 



Birds of the year, according to Degland, have the 

 head varied with white and brown; feathers of the 

 back and wing coverts bordered with russet; throat 

 and front of neck barred with russet and black; abdo- 

 men dirty white. The young males have the flanks 

 ashy grey. 



Figured also by Pallas, Nov. Comm. Petr., 14, pi. 

 22, fig. 3; Temminck, pi. color. 257, f. 3, adult male; 

 Guldenstadt, Nov. Comm. Petrop., vol. xix., p. 468, 

 pi. 15. 



