524 MOTACIXLIDJE. 



seen at first, the whole under surface being bright yellow, but 

 on lifting the feathers the black bases can be clearly perceived, and as 

 the plumage gets worn the black on the fore neck becomes plainer 

 and plainer. 



Mr. Eugene Oates's collection contained a most complete series 

 of this Wagtail, obtained by him in Pegu during the winter, and 

 the whole of the cold-season changes of plumage are fully illus- 

 trated, as follows : — 



Tounq after first moult (Pegu ; Sept. 9). General colour above 

 ashy browii, the head like the back, the lower back and rump clearer 

 o-rey, the upper tail-coverts lilackish, the lateral ones externally 

 white, the basal ones edged with ashy grey ; lesser wing-coverts like 

 the back ; median and greater coverts lilackish, externally washed 

 with brown, dull whitish at the ends ; bastard-wing blackish ; 

 primary-coverts and quills dusky brown, edged with ashy brown, 

 olive on the primaries, the secondaries rather broadly margined with 

 whitish ; tail-feathers blackish brown, edged with lighter brown, 

 slightly tinged with olive ; the outer tail-feathers white, with a 

 white shaft and an oblique mark of dark brown on the inner web ; 

 the penultimate feather also white, with an oblique mark of dark 

 brown on the inner web, the outer web with a dark brown line along 

 the side of the white shaft nearly reaching to the end ; lores and a 

 distinct eyebrow white ; feathers in front of and below the eye, as 

 well as the ear-coverts, slaty blackish ; eyelid whitish, with a slight 

 brownish shade below the eye ; cheeks and throat white, mottled with 

 blackish spots on the lower part and on the sides of the lower throat ; 

 remainder of under surface of body pale sandy buff or deep isabeUine, 

 whiter on the abdomen and under tail-coverts, the centre of the 

 breast mottled with large black spots ; sides of body and flanks ashy 

 brown, darker ashy on the sides of the upper breast ; axillaries and 

 under wing-coverts dull white, with dusky bases ; quills dusky below, 

 more ashy along the inner web. Total length 6-4 inches, culmen 

 0-55, wing 3-1, tail 2-65, tarsus 0-8.5. 



Youno- birds remain in this plumage from September to November, 

 but as early as the 10th of October traces of a change of plumage to 

 the forthcoming spring dress are visible in Mr. Oates's specimens. 

 The new plumage is moulted very irregularly and in patches, 

 yellow feathers appearing on the breast and olive plumes on the 

 back. The inner secondaries appear to be moulted as well, and have 

 distinct olive-yellow margins, and the white eyebrow gradually dis- 

 appears. 



By March the adult birds have moulted, before their departure for 

 the north ; the new feathers on the crown have generally some olive- 

 yellow tips to the feathers, which may be seen on specimens in their 

 breeding-quarters, but which soon wear off. There is scarcely any 

 difference between a specimen obtained in Pegu in March and one 

 shot in the Tenesai valley in June. 



The adult female in winter differs from the male in winter to the 

 same extent as the summer plumages of the two birds differ. 



Hob. From Northern Scandinavia across Northern Europe and 



