MOTACILLA. 271 



which extends upwards in a broad line to the hinder part of the cheeks ; the 

 black crescent extending to a point on the centre of the chest, remainder 

 of under surface of the body white, washed with yellowish on the upper breast, 

 and with grey on the sides of the body and flanks ; axillaries white, washed 

 with yellow." 



Length. 7 inches ; wing 3^45 ; tail 3^35 ; tarsus 0*85 ; culmen 0-55. 



" The adult in winter plumage has a grey back, white forehead, and black 

 crown and nape ; the sides of the crown, region of the eye, ear coverts, sides 

 of neck, cheeks and throat pure white, sometimes with a slight tinge of 

 yellow ; on the foreneck a broad black crescent, extending to the sides of 

 the throat to the hinder cheeks ; otherwise the plumage is the same as in 

 summer, excepting that the wing coverts are more ashy." 



" Adult male in breeding-plumage. General colour above light ashy grey from 

 the nape to the upper tail coverts, the latter being blackish, edged with ashy 

 grey, the lateral ones externally white, the outer greater coverts browner; 

 bastard wing, primary coverts and quills dark brown, edged with ashy, the 

 longer inner secondaries rather broadly margined with white, the two outermost 

 white, black at the base, and obliquely along the edge of the inner web ; a broad 

 frontal band, lores, cheeks, sides of face, ear coverts and sides of crown pure 

 white, the top of the head and nape black ; sides of neck white, washed with 

 ashy ; throat and foreneck black, the lower feathers tipped white where they 

 adjoin the breast, which is entirely white as the under tail coverts ; flanks and 

 sides of body light ashy grey, clearer on the sides of the upper breast ; thighs 

 ashy white ; under wing coverts and axillaries white, the coverts near the edge 

 of the wing with blackish bases ; quills dusky brown below, lighter along the 

 edge of the inner web, whiter near the base of the feathers. Bill, legs and feet 

 black ; iris dark brown." 



Totallength. 6-7 inches; culmen 0*5 ; wing 3^35 ; tail 3*35 ; tarsus 0*55. 

 Adult female. Similar to the male. Females in the first spring. 



Witrfregard to M. dukhunensis, as the Oriental form of this Wagtail is 

 called, specimens from Siberia, collected by Mr. Seebohm in the valley of 

 the Yen-e-say, cannot be specifically separated from M. alba> being merely of 

 a little purer french grey. This applies to the examples from India and 

 Burmah collected in the winter season ; and it seems to be a fact, as 

 Mr. Brooks says, that the young ones killed in these countries have not the 

 yellow face of European specimens ; but this cannot be made a specific 

 character, for many European individuals do not have it either. 



A gradual transition seems to take place, as the species ranges eastwards, 

 from the duller grey of the West-European specimens to the pure grey of the 

 Siberian birds. This difference is only visible on the actual comparison of 

 a large series, and may be due to a strain of M. lugubris* with which 



