THE KHAN JAN 243 



ists. It has the requisite qualities of the 

 cage-birds of a high order, and without 

 it, no book on cage-birds would be 

 complete. 



In the Fauna of British India, Oates 

 recognises Motacilla maderaspatensis as 

 a species. But Mr. Stuart Baker regards 

 it as a sub-species and calls it Motacilla 

 alha maderaspatetisis. According to him, 

 this Wagtail belongs to the alha group. 

 Mr. Claud B. Ticehurst justly criticises 

 this grouping in the Journal of the 

 Bombay Natural History Society (Vol. 

 xxviii, p.l090) — "Mr. Stuart Baker puts 

 this wagtail as a race of alha : with this 

 I cannot agree. In many points this 

 species differs from the alha group. Firstly, 

 this bird is in habits unlike the latter 

 in being practically confined to water- 

 courses. Secondly, it is resident through- 

 out its range, while all the alha are 

 migratory. Thirdly, its very superior size. 

 Fourthly, total absence of white forehead 

 which all alba show in winter. Fifthly, 



