460 Observations on some Species of Motacilla. 



the habitat of the M. flava; its occurrence on any part of the 

 continent being extremely infrequent. 



While engaged upon this tribe of birds during the course 

 of my work on the Birds of Europe, I was equally surprised 

 to find that the sprightly and pied wagtail, so abundant in 

 our islands at all seasons, could not be referred to any 

 described species, and that it was equally as limited in its 

 habitat; for, besides the British islands, Norway and Sweden 

 are the only parts of Europe whence I have been able to 

 procure examples identical with our bird, whose place in the 

 temperate portions of Europe is supplied by a nearly allied, 

 but distinct, species, the true M. alba of Linnaeus ; which, 

 although abundant in France, particularly in the neighbour- 

 hood of Calais, has never yet been discovered on the opposite 

 shores of Kent, or in any part of England. As, therefore, 

 our bird, which has always been considered as identical with 

 the M. alba, proves to be a distinct species, I have named it 

 after my friend W. Yarrell, Esq., as a just tribute to his 

 varied talents as a naturalist. 



The characters by which these two species may be readily 

 distinguished are as follows : — The pied wagtail of England 

 (M. Yarrellii) is somewhat more robust in form, and, in its 

 full summer dress, has the whole of the head, chest, and 

 back, of a full deep jet black; while in the M. alba, at the 

 same period, the throat and head alone are of this colour, the 

 back and the rest of the upper surface being of a light ash- 

 grey. In winter, the two species more nearly assimilate in 

 their colouring ; and this circumstance has, doubtless, been 

 the cause of their hitherto being considered as identical : the 

 black back of M. Yarrellii being grey at this season, although 

 never so light as in M. alba. An additional evidence of their 

 being distinct (but which has, doubtless, contributed to the 

 confusion) is, that the female of M. Yarrellii never has the 

 back black, as in the male ; this part, even in summer, being 

 dark grey ; in which respect it closely resembles the other 

 species. 



A third species of pied wagtail (the M. lugubris of Pallas) 

 inhabits the eastern portions of Europe, and is rarely found 

 in any other part of the Continent. In size, this species far 

 exceeds M. Yarrellii : it has the whole of the centre of the 

 wing, several of the secondaries, and the basal portion of some 

 of the primaries, white ; besides which, it may at all times be 

 distinguished from either of the former species by the lorum, 

 or space between the bill and the eye, being black ; a character 

 not to be found in any state of plumage in either M. Yarrellii 

 or M. alba. 



