1 86 The Blue-Headed Wagtail. 



poor tiling (invariably chasing it away from the food pan when it attempted to 

 eat) that, early in December, 1889, it died of starvation. 



Several years later (1892) Mr. Staines, of Penge, formerly a rather successful 

 exhibitor of Wagtails, gave me a male of this species which had been for some 

 time in his possession ; I turned it out into a cool aviary, where it came into 

 superb plumage, and soon became very tame ; though less so than ni}- first (female) 

 example : this and a second male, previously referred to, were still flourishing when 

 I wrote this article, but Mr. Staines' bird subsequently died (August 1896). 



Family— MO TA CILLID^. 



The Blue-Headed Wagtail. 



MotaciUii flava, LiNN. 



SEEBOHM gives the following as the geographical distribution of this species: 

 "extending from the British Islands across Europe and Asia at least as far 

 as the Rocky Mountains of America. It is common across the Cliannel, and is 

 found in Scandinavia south of lat. 60°, which appears also to be the northern limit 

 of its range in Russia. In Western Europe it is found down to Gibraltar, and 

 crosses the Straits into Tangiers ; but in Eastern Europe it does not breed so far 

 south. It passes through South Russia, Greece, and North-east Africa on migra- 

 tion, and winters in South Africa, whence it has been received from Daniara Land, 

 Natal, and the Transvaal. In Asia it is said to have about the same range to the 

 north, but in Alaska it breeds up to lat. 64". It breeds throughout South Siberia, 

 Mongolia, and North China, wintering in India and Burma. In Turkestan it is 

 only known on migration. It is doubtful whether it has occurred in Persia, but it 

 breeds in the Caucasus." 



In the British Islands the Blue-headed Wagtail has chiefly occurred in the 



