128 BLUE-HEADED WAGTAIL. 



readers to Dr. Sharpe's views (Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. x. pp. 516-532). 

 I have only room for the broad statement that in Upper Scandi- 

 navia, Northern Europe, and Siberia, migrating as far as the south 

 of Africa and India, there is a form (the male of which has a nearly 

 black crown and no eye-streak) known as J/, viridis of Gmelin, or 

 better as M. borealis of Sundevall ; two examples of which are said 

 to have occurred at Penzance. In the basin of the INIediterranean 

 is found a close ally, M. cinereicapilla of Savi, with grey crown but 

 very little eye-streak ; while in South-eastern Europe and Central 

 Asia there is an easily recognizable race with a very black head and 

 no eye-stripe, known as M. feldeggi or M. melanocephala : and when, 

 as in Hungary, this black-headed bird exhibits a narrow white eye- 

 stripe, it is called M. paradoxa. 



Breeding commences in the latter half of May ; the nest being 

 placed on the ground among herbage in meadows and corn-fields. 

 It is composed of fine roots, grass and moss, lined with horsehair 

 and a few feathers ; the 4-6 eggs being yellowish-white, clouded 

 with pale brown, and sometimes scrolled with black at the larger 

 end : measurements 78 by "56 in. The food consists of insects 

 and their larvae ; and the bird is very partial to small flies, in pursuit 

 of which it may be seen strutting and fluttering within a few inches 

 of the muzzles of grazing horses or cattle ; whence the German 

 name ' Kuh-stelze.' The call-note is a shrill chit-up. 



The adult male in breeding-plumage has the crown and nape 

 bluish-grey ; lores and ear-coverts dark slate-grey ; over each eye and 

 ear-covert a white streak \ mantle olive, tinged with yellow ; wing- 

 coverts dark brown, with yellowish-white tips, forming a double bar ; 

 secondaries margined with the same colour ; quills dark brown ; tail- 

 feathers blackish-brown, except the two outer pairs, which are white 

 with black edges to the inner webs ; chin and a line below the lores 

 white ; throat, breast and tail-coverts bright gamboge-yellow ; bill, 

 legs and feet black. Length 6 "3 in. ; wing 3*2 in. The female is 

 rather shorter ; the head has a more olive tint, and the yellow of the 

 under parts is less pronounced. In autumn both sexes acquire an 

 olive-brown tinge. The young are greenish-brown above, with a 

 rough V-shaped line of brown spots from the nape to the breast, 

 while the under parts are only pale yellow ; but the ivhite eye-stripe 

 which serves to distinguish typical examples of this species from our 

 Yellow Wagtail is always present. Young males often display in 

 their first spring some dark mottlings on the throat, grey patches on 

 the head, and a considerable amount of yellow on the shoulders. 



