512 



MOTACILLIB^. 



upper tail-coverts ; upper tail-coverts blackish, edged with olive- 

 yellow, the lateral ones externally yellowish white ; lesser wing- 

 coverts like the back ; median and greater wing-coverts blackish, 

 edged externally with olive-yellowish, whiter towards the ends ; 

 bastard-wing black; primary-coverts and quiUs blackish, edged 

 with olive-yellowish, whiter on the secondaries, where the edges are 

 also much broader; tail-feathers blackish, edged narrowly with 

 yellowish, the two outer ones white, with a blackish edging to 

 the inner web ; a broad eyebrow of pale fawn-brown ; ear-coverts 

 brown ; throat and chest pale fawn-brown, with dusky spots on the 

 latter, plainer in the centre, the chin and cheeks rather white ; 

 abdomen, flanks, thighs, and under taU-coverts bright yellow ; 

 axillaries and under wing- coverts ashy white, slightly tinged with 

 yeUow, the latter mottled with dusky near the edge of the wing. 



Young female in %v inter plumage. Similar to the male, but whiter 

 on the abdomen, only the lower flanks, lower abdomen, and under 

 tail-coverts being yeUow ; throat and breast dull white, washed 

 with fawn-colour on the throat and chest. 



Young birds in the same bleached plumage in which some of 

 them leave England occur plentifully in Senegambia during tho 

 European winter; and it is evident that a complete moult takes 

 place, the yeUow under surface being completely assumed before the 

 birds return. 



This I believe to be the case in young birds only. The old ones 

 seem to leave in brilliant winter plumage, with a bright-yeUow 

 eyebrow, returning in spring in a plumage very little brighter than 

 the one they depart with. 



Adult male in hreeding-plumage. General colour above dark 

 olive-yellowish on the back, clearer and brighter yellow on the 

 head and also on the rump and upper tail-coverts, the latter being 

 brown edged with olive-yellow, the lateral ones externally yellowish 

 white ; lesser wing-coverts olive-yeUow like the back ; median and 

 greater coverts blackish brown, externally ashy brown and jeUowish 

 white near the ends of the outer webs and at the tips of the feathers ; 

 bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and quills dark brown or blackish 

 brown, edged externally with ashy brown, the secondaries with dull 

 white, the innermost submarginaUy paler brown ; tail-feathers 

 blackish brown, edged with yellowish olive, the two outer ones 

 white with an oblique mark of brown along the inner web, the 

 third one white along the outer web, and with an irregular shaped 

 wedge of white on the inner web extending far up the feathers ; 

 forehead decidedly brighter yellow than the rest of the crown ; from 

 the base of the nostrils a broad eyebrow of bright yellow ; eyelid 

 and lores also bright yellow ; ear-coverts bright yellow in the 

 centre, yellowish olive on the upper and hinder portion ; cheeks and 

 entire under surface of body bright yellow, the sides of the body 

 slightly tinged with greenish yellow ; axillaries bright yellow ; 

 under wing-coverts dull white, slightly washed with yeUow, and 

 mottled with dusky bases near the edge of the wing ; lower primary- 

 coverts and quills light brown, whiter along the inner webs, espe- 



