1. MOTACILLA. 491 



p. 260; Dresser, Ibis, 1876, p. 177 ; Brooks, Sfr. F. 1877, p. 472 ; 

 Davidson ^ Wenden, Str. F. 1878, p. 84; Bell, t. c. p. 219; 

 Seehohm, Ibis, 1878, p. 343 ; Anders. Zool. Exped. Yunnan, p. 610 

 (1878); Seebohm, Ibis, 18S3, p. 92. 

 Motacilla leiicoptera, Se/ys, Nauin. 1856, p. 391. 



Adult male. General colour above rich black from bill to taU, the 

 lateral upper tail-coverts externally white, and fringed with white 

 on the inner web as well ; lesser wing-coverts black like the back ; 

 median and greater coverts pure white, the inner ones black, white 

 externally, the innermost entirely black like the back ; bastard- 

 wing black ; primary-coverts black, edged with greyish white ; 

 quills black, edged with white, the outermost primary fringed with 

 white for its entire length ; secondaries more broadly white on the 

 outer web, and fringed with white at the ends ; tail-feathers black, 

 the two centre ones edged with white, the two outer feathers white, 

 with a broad blackish edging along the inner web ; base of forehead 

 narrowly black ; a broad white eyebrow from the base of the nostrils 

 running along the sides of the crown ; upper and under margin of 

 eyelids white, the anterior and posterior edge black ; lores, sides of 

 face, sides of neck, throat, and fore neck rich black ; remainder of 

 under surface of body piu:e white, the sides of the body washed 

 with blackish grey, blacker on the sides of the upper breast ; thighs 

 and under tail-coverts white; axillaries and under wing-coverts 

 white ; quills blackish below, with a great deal of white on the 

 inner webs: " bill black ; legs and feet brownish black; iris dark 

 brown " {Legge). Total length 9 inches, culmen 0-7o, wing 3-85, 

 tail 4*1, tarsus 1*2. 



The achdt female appears to differ from the male in having the 

 back dark ashy instead of black, and has also only the entire throat 

 black. Mr. Seebohm has three specimens in this plumage, collected 

 in October, January, and February, but another female from Sam- 

 buhr (Adam), obtained in August, has a black back like the male. 

 This bird has been described by Colonel Legge (l. c.) as being in the 

 " non-breeding phmiage " : — " Chin and face just beneath the eye 

 and the gorge white ; upper surface not of so intense a black as 

 the breeding-dress." He thinks further that the bird in question 

 had bred early in the year, and had changed its plumage at once. 

 The series in the Museum has not been sufficient to enable me to 

 trace all the phases of plumage undergone by the present species. 



Hab. The peninsula of India and Ceylon, extending into the 

 Eastern Himalayas, and westward to Cashmere and Scinde, and 

 thence to Turkestan. 



a. Ad. ; J. [Juv.J N.W. Himalayas (G>{^</i*). India Museum. 



sk. 

 c. Ad. sk. X.W. Himalavas. Capt. Stackliouse Pinwill 



d,e,f. c? fid. ; N.\N . Himalayas. Capt. Stackhouse Pinwill 



(7."$ ad.sk. [P.]. 



* ? Afghanistan. 



