Proceedings of the Scientific Meetings of the Zoological Society of London 1874

Page 296

240 MESSRS. BLANFORD AND DRESSER ON [Apr. 21, lores, ear-coverts, and sides of the head, chin, and throat black ; lower part of the neck, extending to the scapulary region, breast, and abdomen, rufous isabelline ; under wing-coverts, axillaries, and thigh-coverts black. Culmen 0'85, wing 375, tail 2*6, tarsus 1*3. Younger males have the crown, nape, and back browner; scapu­lars and rump more rufous; lower parts from the breast pale ferru­ginous ; wing-coverts and scapulars with pale rufous margins. Female. Upper parts to the rump hair-brown with an umber tinge, the central portions of the feathers darker, especially on the crown; wings blackish brown, the coverts and secondaries with broad rufous margins ; rump and upper tail-coverts pale ferru­ginous ; tail black ; lores blackish ; ear-coverts hair-brown ; lower parts rufous isabelline, whitish on the throat, all the feathers with more or less distinct dark central streaks. Culmen 072, wing 3*45, tail 2'4, tarsus l-25. Hab. South Africa. W e find it quite impossible to determine whether this is Buffon's " Grand Motteux " or not. As it may probably be useful to working naturalists to know to which species the various Chats enumerated by Mr. G. R. Gray in his well known Hand-list (i. pp. 224-226) belong, we give the follow­ing review of them, viz.:- 3205. S. cenanthe is the type of the genus Saxicola, and is the common European Wheatear. 3206. S. albicollis stands as S. stapazina. 3207. S. stapazina = S. rufa. 3208. S. leucomela is the species inhabiting South-eastern Europe and Northern Africa, whereas 3209. S. capistrata is the eastern form and stands as S. morio. 3210. S. lugens = S. leucomela, no. 3208. 3211. S. atrogularis is referable to S. deserti. 3212. S. deserti. 3213. S. pallida = S. monacha § . 3214. S. stricklandi =S. albicans. 3215. S. lugubris. 3216. S. isabellina. 3217- S. philothamna = S. mcesta, 3228. 3218. S. eurymelana = S. melanoleuca. 3219. S. amphileuca = S. stapazina. 3220. S. libanotica = S. erythraa. 3221. S. rufocinerea is a Monticola and not a true Chat. 3222. S. oenanthoides = S. cenanthe, 3205. 3223. S. gutturalis = S. deserti, 3212. 3224. S. montana = S. deserti. 3225. S. sordida is a Ruticilla or a Pratincola, but not a true Chat. 3226. S. halophila = S. erythraa juv. 3227. S. homochroa = S. deserti $ .