Page:The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma (Birds Vol 2).djvu/82

68 extent, and a few appear to be resident. The sexes are usually dissimilar, and both sexes undergo a seasonal change of plumage, which in some species causes a very great alteration in their appearance. In all the species and in both sexes the tail is marked with two colours, generally black and white and occasion- ally black and chestnut.

In Saxicola the bill is about half the length of the head, slender, and not widened at the base j the rictal bristles are few and weak ; the wing is sharp, the first primary being about one third the length of the second ; the tail is shorter than the wing and nearly square, and the tarsus is moderate.

The young of Saaricola are in general like the adult female, but each feather of the plumage has a terminal dark bar and a pale centre, causing a mottled appearance. This plumage at the first autumn gives place to that of the adult.

Key to the Species.

a. Tail white or buff and brown ; the lateral feathers immaculate or merely obliquely marked with black S. monacha, p. 69. b. Tail white and black ; the laterals with a broad band at the tip. '. Band on lateral tail-feathers not exceed- ing 1 inch in breadth. a". Second primary shorter than sixth, a'". Sexes alike; plumage black and white ; wing 4 inches or longer. . S. albiniyra, p. 70. b'". Sexes different ; males black and white ; female brown ; wing under 37 inches. a 4 . Abdomen white, and crown black S. picata tf, p. 71. b Abdomen and crown white .... S. capistrata tf , p. 72. c 4 . Abdomen black S. opistholeuca tf , p. 73. d l . Throat and breast dark brown, contrasting with the pale ab- domen S. picata $ , p. 71. e 4 . Throat and breast buff, blending softly with the paler buff of the abdomen S. capistrata , p. 72. / 4 . Throat, breast, and upper abdo- men sooty brown S. opistholeuca $ , p. 73. b". Second primary between the fifth and sixth ; sexes different *. c'". Chin and throat black. ^r 4 . Back and scapulars of the same colour S. pleschanka tf, p. 73. A 4 . Back buff, scapulars black .... S. barnesi <$ , p. 75.


 * I am not acquainted with the females of 8. barnesi and 8. vittata, and consequently I do not enter either of these in the Key, nor the female of 8. pleschd.ika, which comes into this same section.