MOTACILLINiE. JJ19 



The Black-facild Wagtail. 



Def^fr. — In suminer pliiiuane, the back and sca[)uldrs pale grey ; 

 occiput, nape, wings, and tail, lilack ; a supercilium, wing-patch, 

 and oiiterniost tail-feathers, white; beneath, the throat, neck, and 

 breast, black, the re>t w hite ; primaries are dusky, edged with 

 white, and the upper tail-c<>verts a>hy, edged with black. 



Jn winter dress, the chin, throat, and beneath the eye, are white, 

 leaving only a small patch of black on the breast; the occiput 

 and nape also are grey, the white w ing-patch smaller ; the coverts 

 and secondaries also grey, edged paler. 



Hill and legs black; iiides brown. Length 7^ to 8 inches ; 

 wing 8| ; tail 4| ; bid at front rather nioie thm f-; tarsus nearly 1. 



This species is the veprepcntati^e in Southern and Western 

 India, of the whit e-f. iced Wagtail, from whicli, in its winter dre<s, 

 it is barely distinguishable; but a bl ick feather or two on the 

 chin, usually to be found, is a sure indication of the present 

 species. It differs fioni liiznviensls by the permanently giey hack. 

 It very < losely re.-emides M ulli/t of Euroj)e, but dirters by its 

 great wing-patch, and by the neck all round, and the ear-feathers, 

 being Idack. 



This Wagtail is found throughout Southern and Central India, 

 extending into the X. W. Provinces, Sindh. tiie Punjab, and 

 Affghanistan. Adams, however, says that he did not see it at 

 Pesh.iwur, imd tliat the former species is the common Waiitail 

 of Ca^hmere. It also is found in Ceylon. It is not very 

 abundant in the extreme south of the peninsula, but is very 

 common m the Deccan. and in Central India, coming in about the 

 beginning of October, and leaving in March or April. It is a very 

 familiar bird, feeding close to houses, stables, and in gardens ; often, 

 indeed, entering verandahs, and coming into an open room if not 

 disturbed. It runs about briskly after small insects, and is very 

 active in catching the flies that infest the vicinity of stables and 

 out-houses. Like the last, a small party of them may be seen 

 towards eveninLT on tlie bank of a river or tank, though, when 

 feeding, it is usually solitary. Out of India th^- geogi-aphical distri- 

 bution of these two last ^^'agtails is not recorded, but they probably 

 breed respectively in the Eastern and Western sides of Central and 



