1839.] 



of the Peninsula of India. 



265 



warbles forth from the top of a wall or low tree — and it is occasionally 

 caged. The Kulchooree is not confined to the vicinity of villages, &c. 

 but is very common on stony hills, and in various other situations. 

 Irides dark brown. Length 6£ inches ; wing 2 T 8 -g-ths ; tail 2J; tarsus i 

 inch. 



I have twice seen the nest of the bird, once built among a heap of 

 large stones raised from a boury, and the bird made its nest during 

 the time the well was being blasted, and continued the process of in- 

 cubation till the young ones were hatched, when it was accidentally de- 

 stroyed. On the other occasion it had built its nest in a hole inside the 

 wall of a house. It has 4 eggs, light dusky bluish colour, spotted with 

 purplish brown. 



Gen. SAXICOLA, Beehst— Stonechat. 



104. — S\ rubecola, Temm. — European Stonechat. 



I have seen this bird in all parts of India during the cold weather, 

 making its first appearance in the beginning of October. It frequents 

 bushes on the plains, hedges, and grain fields, and feeds on the ground 

 on ants and various other insects. Irides dark brown j bill and legs 

 black. Length 5|; wing 2| ; tail If; tarsus T 8 oths. 



105. — S, caprata, Vieill — Mot. caprata, L. P. E. 235. — Sax. fruticola, 

 Horsf. ? — Sax. bicolor and S, erythropygia, Sykes. — Indian Stonechat. — • 

 Neilgherry or hi ill Robin. — Kala Pidda (i. e. Black Warbler), H» 



There are two varieties (of size only however) of this bird found in 

 the peninsula. The smaller kind is found throughout India. I have 

 seen it in the Carnatic, Deccan and West Coasl — the larger variety I 

 have only seen on the Neilgherries, but as they nearly correspond in 

 size with those found by Colonel Sykes, there is a regular gradation 

 from the mentioned length of the S. fruticola of Horsf. (viz. 4h inches) 

 to that of the hill variety, which reaches 6| inches, and as from the de- 

 scriptions there appears no discrepancy in the colour of the plumage, 

 I think that there can be but little doubt that they are mere varieties 

 of one bird. The S. erythropygia of Sykes, as might indeed have been 

 guessed from his own description, is the female of his bicolor (our pre- 

 sent subject) as I have ascertained beyond a doubt — as well from dissec- 



