282 MOTACILLA MEL AN OPE. 



which they find near the water, and are tame and confiding. 

 Their eggs are greenish, covered with dots and streaks of 

 pale brown, and measure - 8 inch by 0"6. 



The Antanosis call them " Salaly," and the Betsimisarakas 

 give them the name of "Seritra" (= jokers) on account of 

 their way of wagging their tails at the passer-by. "Tsitsio," 

 another of their names, is derived from their note, which is 

 very similar to that of others of the genus. The Rev. J. 

 Sibree adds " Fandiafasika " as their Hova and general name, 

 and " Triotriotsa," "Triotrio" and " Seritse " as other pro- 

 vincial names. 



Motacilla melanope. 



Motacilla melanope, Pall. ; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. x.p. 497 (1885) Bogos ; id. 

 Ibis, 1891, p. 588 Man, Mt. Elgon; Kendall, Ibis, 1892, p. 217 

 Gambia ; Shelley, B. Afr. I. No. 148 (1896) ; Lort Phillips, Ibis, 

 1898, p. 401 Somali; Jackson, Ibis, 1899, p. 627 Ravine; Grant, 

 Ibis, 1900, p. 140 Abyssinia. 



Motacilla sulphurea, Bechst. ; Salvad. Ann. Mus. Genov. 1888, pp. 263, 

 536 Shoa. 



Motacilla boarula, Linn. ; Salvad. Mem. R. Ace. Torino (2) xliv. p. 557 

 (1894) Somali. 



Adult (winter). Tail longer than the wing, breast yellow. Above, grey, 

 with the rump, upper tail-coverts and partial edges to the tail-feathers 

 olive shaded yellow ; sides of head grey, darker in front of the eye, and 

 separated from the crown by a fairly distinct white eyebrow ; wing brownish 

 black with the least series of coverts grey, and the other feathers with 

 partial pale edges, broadest and slightly shaded with yellow on the innermost 

 feathers ; sides of body and under wing-coverts grey ; quills with a white 

 patch towards the base, confined to the inner webs of the primaries and 

 crossing both webs of the secondaries ; tail with the centre three pairs of 

 feathers black, and the three outer pairs white with partial black outer 

 edges, excepting the outer pair which are entirely white ; breast and under 

 tail-coverts bright yellow. Bill, iris and legs brown. Total length 7 - 8 

 inches, culmen 0*5, wing 3-4, tail 5-2, tarsus 0-8. 



Immature. Less yellow on the breast, and throat shaded with rufous buff. 



