the wheatears. 
295 
Nest , — Generally placed in burrows, sometimes at a consider- 
able distance. In construction it resembles that of the IV heat- 
ear. 
Eggs . —Four or five in number. Pale greenish-blue with the 
faintest indication of pale brown spots on some of them. Axis, 
, 0-85-0-9 inch ; diam., 0-65. 
THE BLACK-THROATED WHEATEAR. SAXICOLA STAPAZINA. 
Motacilla stapazina, pt. Linn., Syst. Nat., i., p. 33 1 ( T 7 66 > 
Saxicola rufa , Dresser, B. Eur., n., p. 203, pi. 23 (1874). 
Saxicola stapazina, Seeb., Cat. B Brit. Mus v p 38 7 (1881) 
id. Br. B, i., p. 307 (1883); B. O. U List Bn B p. 6 
(1883); Lilford, Col. Fig. Br. B., pt. 1. (1885); Saunders, 
Saxkda'ouidenS Salvad. Elench. Uc. Ital, p. 116 (1886). 
Adult Male.— Head, neck, and mantle rich sandy-rufous, 
generally whiter on the forehead ; lower back, rump, and upper 
tail-coverts pure white; scapulars, wing-coverts, and quills 
black the former sandy-buff near the back ; centre tail-feathers 
black’ with a white base ; remainder white, excepting a narrow 
black’ tin which increases in width towards the outermost, 
where it forms a broad black band at the end, and extends 
some distance up the outer web ; extreme base of forehead, 
lores, line above and behind the eye, sides of face, checks, 
and upper throat, black; remainder of under surface of body 
from the middle of the throat downwards rich sandy-rufous ; 
sides of body less distinctly washed with sandy-buff, the abdo- 
men and under tail-coverts creamy-white ; axillanes and under 
wing-coverts black ; quills dusky below, ashy-whitish along the 
inner edge ; bill and feet black ; ins brown. 1 otal length, 5 7 
inches ; culmen, 0-55 1 wing, 3'55 J tad, 2-3 5 tarsus, 0-9. 
Adult Female.— Browner than the male, with brown wings and 
tail the head and back sandy-brown, the rump and upper 
tai -coverts white ; ear-coverts sandy-rufous ; throat ashy-brown 
with a blackish patch in the middle; lower throat, fore-neck, 
breast, and sides of body sandy-rufous, the abdomen isabelline. 
Total length, 5-7 inches; wing, 3'45- 
