200 YELLOW WAGTAIL. 



spotted thickly with a darker shade. The geo- 

 graphical range does not extend far to the north- 

 ward, and the extreme counties of Scotland, 

 where it was observed in 1834, may probably be 

 nearly its limit in this direction, as it is not 

 known to occur in the northern countries of 

 Europe. Southward it reaches Spain and Italy ;* 

 and its extra European range is India,! Japan, 

 Java, and Sumatra.^ 



In form, the Yellow Wagtail is elegant ; but 

 appears less lengthened than the members of the 

 former genus, from the comparative shortness of 

 the tail. The colours of the male and female are 

 nearly similarly distributed, but differ in intensity 

 and brilliancy. Above, the plumage is entirely 

 of a clear yellowish olive or oil green, extending 

 over the auriculars and half of the neck, and 

 paler there and on the head ; a streak over each 

 eye, and above the aurieulars, with all the under 

 parts, are bright gamboge yellow, darkest on the 

 breast. The quills and long secondaries are 

 brownish black, and with the greater and lesser 

 coverts are tipped and edged with yellowish 

 white. The tail is deep brownish black, except 

 the two outer feathers on each side, which are 

 white ; the second having the outer web, and both 

 a streak on the inner webs, of a pale brown. 

 The bill, legs, and feet, are also blackish brown ; 

 the claws and under surface paler. These birds 

 retire early, so soon as they have accomplished 

 their incubation ; and although there is no such 



* Prince of Musignana. t Gould, t Temminck. 



