MOTACILLA MELANOCEPHALA 153 



MOTACILLA MELANOCEPHALA, Lichtenstein. 

 BLACK-HEADED WAGTAIL. 



Motaoilla melanocephala, Licht. Vers. Doubl. p. 36 (1823). 



Motacilla feldeggi, Sharpa, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. x, p. 527, pi. 8, 



figs, i.-iv. 

 Budytes melanocephalus, Lochc, Expl. Sci. Alg. Ois. ii, p. 10 (1867) ; 



Kocnig, J.f. 0. 1888, p. 214. 



Description. — Adult male, spring, from Bari, Italy. 



Differs from M. flava in having the crown, nape and ear-coverts of a 

 rich glossy black, the rest of the upper parts rather deeper in their colora- 

 tion, and in lacking the superciliary stripe. 



Soft parts and measurements as in M. flava. 



Adult female much duller in coloration than the male. 



The young resemble those of the preceding forms, but are rather darker 

 on the head. 



Though I have not inet with this form of Wagtail in Tunisia, 

 Blanc informs me that, although rare, it occurs occasionally in the 

 Eegency, having been found as far south as Tatahouine. Dr. Koenig 

 also includes it in his list of Tunisian birds {J. f. 0. 1888, p. 214), 

 having obtained a specimen of it in the Eegency in the month of 

 April, 1886. Loche mentions having obtained an example near Ain 

 Oussera, in Algeria (Expl. Scient. Alg. Ois. ii, p. 11). A male 

 specimen which exists in the Milan Museum under the No. 17,639 

 is probably this very example. 



In Italy and Sicily M. mela)iocep]iala occurs in limited numbers 

 and at irregular intervals. In the latter island the late Dr. Mina 

 Palumbo stated that he had observed the species on several occasions 

 in spring frequenting the torrent-beds of the Madonian mountains, 

 where the birds remained until the end of July. Prof. Doderlein also 

 obtained specimens of it near Palermo. 



In some years M. melanocephala is not uncommon at Bari on the 

 extreme eastern coast of Italy. 



Examples of Black-headed Wagtails with a white supercilium 

 have been named M. paradoxa (Brehm), and those with a yellow 

 supercilium, BI. xanthophrys (Sharpe). The former occurs m South- 

 eastern Europe and has been found as far west as Bari, while the latter 

 is principally met with in the Caucasus region, but strays westward to 

 Dalraatia and, according to some authors, even to Italy. 



