MOTACILLA NIGRICOTIS. 267 



to the inner primaries ; outer tail-coverts with broad white outer edges ; tail 

 with the two outer pairs of feathers white with boldly marked partial black 

 inner margins, next pair with a small basal portion of the outer web white, 

 and an obsolete white outer edge to the centre pair of feathers. Beneath 

 white, with a black collar extending in two bands from the ear-coverts and 

 base of the neck, joining and widening out over the crop ; sides of body and 

 thighs black ; under surface of the wing, with the under wing-coverts and a 

 basal portion of most of quills wbite, remainder of the quills black. Bill 

 and legs black; iris dark brown. Total length 7 - 6 inches, culmen 0-7, 

 wing 3-7, tail 3-8, tarsus 1-0. North of Limpopo (Bradshaw). 



The Black-flanked Pied Wagtail inhabits the central South 

 African watersheds of the Orange river and Limpopo. 



In 1885 when Dr. R. B. Sharpe published his article upon 

 M. vidua (Cat. x. p. 488) there were only three specimens of 

 M. nigricotis in the British Museum, and referring to them he 

 wrote: "I cannot believe that they belong to a different species, 

 and at present consider them to be the winter plumage of very 

 old males." 



Against Dr. Sharpe's theory and in support of this being a 

 good species I may remark that this form is known to occur 

 only within a limited portion of central South Africa, and is 

 now represented in the British Museum by the following six 

 specimens : Hopetown, s , May (T. Atmore) ; De Wet's Drift, 

 on the Vaal river, $ , 8. 5. 79 (T. Ayres); Transvaal (T. Ayres); 

 and three specimens, including the type formerly in my own 

 collection, obtained by the late Dr. Bradshaw during his travels 

 from the Orange river through Matabele, which might have 

 been labelled South Zambesia, but not Zambesi. 



As in ill. vidua the back assumes a slaty grey colour after 

 the breeding season, and in this species the sides of the breast 

 also fade in a like manner. The habits are no doubt similar 

 to those of M. vidua, and as its range is included in that of 

 its near ally, from which I am here separating it, as a distinct 

 species, for the first time, I can find no special information 

 regarding its economy. 



