Mr. W. T. Blanford on ' Stray Feathers.' 219 



some time before it was printed, and that this accounts for 

 the omission of any mention of Mr. Swinhoe's two papers on 

 the Pied Wagtails of China, published in the Proc. Zool. Soc. 

 for 1870, pp. 120 and 129, of Mr. Brooks's description of Mo- 

 tacilla cashmiriensis, Proc. As. Soc. Beng. 1871, p. 210, and 

 J. A. S. B. 1872, vol. xli. pt. ii. p. 82, and of my own remarks 

 on M. hodgsoni in the same volume, p. 59. In the latter I 

 expressed my opinion that M. hodgsoni, with which I was 

 much disposed to identify M. cashmiriensis of Mr. Brooks, is 

 a race peculiar to the Himalayas and parts of Central Asia, 

 and distinct from M. luzonica and M. japonica. Mr. Hume 

 looks upon all these supposed species as varying phases of 

 plumage more or less advanced towards the full breeding-dress, 

 which he describes, and which appears to correspond with M. 

 cashmiriensis, Brooks. But in case any one should be dis- 

 posed to give a name to this full breeding-stage, Mr. Hume 

 proposes to call it super ciliaris. It appears scarcely necessary 

 to add to the very extensive existing synonymy of the species. 



It is still far from clear that the opinion I expressed (/. c.) 

 as to this black-chinned race being peculiar to the Himalayas, 

 perhaps migrating in winter to those parts of the Indian 

 plains which are near the hills, is not correct ; for of all the 

 forms of black-backed Wagtails from China described by Mr. 

 Swinhoe, none agrees exactly with the Himalayan bird in full 

 breeding-plumage, for which, in that case, the name M. hodg- 

 soni would stand. I should mention that Mr. Swinhoe was 

 apparently unaware that M. luzoniensis, or at all events the 

 Indian bird known by that name, has a black back in sum- 

 mer plumage, and a grey one in winter garb ; and I suspect 

 that some of the species described by him are only phases of 

 plumage. But without a series of specimens it would be hope- 

 less to attempt to clear up the history of these birds. 



With Mr. Hume's remarks on the identity of M. dukhu- 

 nensis, Sykes, and M. alba, and the distinction of both from 

 M. per sonata, Gould ( = dukhunensis apud Jerdon), I quite 

 agree, and I hope that Sykes's name will be disused by all 

 Indian ornithologists. I must, however, differ from the state- 

 ment that " in winter both per sonata and dukhunensis entirely 



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