I 
THE INDIAN BUSH-CHAT. 279 
Genus PEATINCOLA, Koch, 
264. PRATINCOLA MAURA. 
THE INDIAN BUSH-CHAT. 
Motacilla maura, Pall. Eeis. ii. Anhang, p. 708, Pratincola indica, Bl. J. A. 
S. B. xvi. p. 129 ; Jerd. B. hid. ii. p. 124 ; Brooks, S. F. iii. p. 238 ; Severtz. S. F. 
iii. p. 429 ; Bl. ^ Wald. B. Burm. p. 102 ; Brooks, S. F. iv. p. 274 ; David et > 
Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 167 ; Anders. Yunnan Exped. p. 618 ; Hume Dav. S. F. 
vi. p. 334; Hume, S. F. viii. p. 99. Pratincola rubicola (Linn.), Hume, 
Nests and Fggs, p. 316. Pratincola albosuperciliaris, Hume, S. F. i. p. 307. 
Pratincola maura, Sharpe, Cat. Birds B. Mus. iv. p. 188. 
Description. — Male in breeding -plumage. The whole heacl_, chin^ throat 
and upper plumage blacky with fulvous tips to a few of the feathers ; tail 
black j sides of the neck white ; wings blacky the quills obsoletely mar- 
gined with fulvous^ and all the inner coverts and the bases of the tertiaries 
white^ forming a very conspicuous wing-spot upper tail-coverts and the 
tips of the rump-feathers white ; breast and fore neck chestnut ; under 
wing-coverts black ; remainder of the lower plumage white. 
Female in summer. Upper plumage brown_, with buff-coloured edgings to 
all the feathers^ coverts and quills included ; upper tail-coverts and tips 
of the rump-feathers sandy buff ; some of the inner wing-coverts and ter- 
tiaries white ; tail dark brown with paler edgings ; chin and throat buffy 
white ; remainder of the lower plumage dirty sandy buff. 
In vnnter both sexes resemble the female in summer_, but the buflpy 
edgings to the feathers are very broad and distinct^ and the colour of the 
lower plumage is much brighter. The male has the bases of the feathers 
of the head and upper plumage blacky showing through a good deal. 
Bill, legs and feet black ; iris dark brown. 
Length 5 inches^ tail 2^ wing 2*6^ tarsus '8, bill from gape °65. The 
female is rather smaller. 
This species differs from P. rubicola (the European race) in having the 
upper tail-coverts unspotted and the axillaries black. P. rubicola has the 
former marked with brown shaft-stripes in both sexes and the latter white 
with black bases. 
The Indian Bush-Chat is a very common winter visitor to the plains of 
British Burmah. I have observed it in every portion of Pegu that I have 
visited ; and I once shot a specimen on the 18th August, an extraordinarily 
early date for its appearance. 
Numerous observers have noted the occurrence of this species in 
Burmah. It extends quite down to the extreme southern point of Tenas- 
serim_, and Capt. Bingham got it in the Thoungyeen valley. 
It has a very extensive range. In winter it is found spread over China^ 
