2S2 MOTACILLID/E. 



Ball y Sir. F. 1878, ii. p. 219; Davison and Wendett, /. . p. 84; Brooks, I. c 

 p. 139; Hume, Sir. F. 1879, pp. 65, 103, 161 ; Vidal, Sir. F. 1880, p. 69; 

 Davison, Sir. F. 1882, p. 310; Davison Sir. F. 1883, p. 396. The GREY- 

 HEADED WAGTAIL. 



Male and female in breeding plumage. Whole head from bill to the nape 

 deep slaty ; lores and ear coverts nearly black ; a narrow indistinct line over 

 the lores ; a short streak of white occasionally behind the eye, frequently 

 absent ; upper plumage dull greenish yellow ; upper tail coverts brown, 

 margined with yellowish ; median and greater coverts brownish black, edged 

 and margined with yellowish white; quills brown, the secondaries and tertiaries 

 margined with yellowish white on the outer webs ; four central pair of tail 

 feathers black ; the two outer pairs black at base and white on the terminal 

 portion, the junction being oblique ; chin white, the whole lower plumage 

 bright yellow ; a little dusky on the lower throat. 



In winter the head becomes greenish yellow like the back and the ear 

 coverts also become yellowish ; the eyestreak is distinct and the under surface 

 of the body duller yellow. The young are more or less fulvous or white below, 

 and there are spots on the throat and breast. Bill blackish brown ; the base of 

 the lower mandible yellowish ; iris brown ; legs, feet and claws dark horn 

 colour. (Oates.) 



Length. 7 inches; wing 3*2; tail 3'i ; tarsus 0'9 ; bill from gape 0*7 ; 

 culmen 0-5. 



Hab. From Northern Scandinavia across Northern Europe and Siberia, 

 occurring on migration throughout Southern Europe down to South Africa, and 

 being met with in winter throughout the plains of India, the Burmese countries 

 and the Malay Peninsula. (Sharpe.) It occurs in Kandahar and throughout 

 S. Afghanistan ; also in the N.-W. Provinces, Punjab, and Sind. It is recorded 

 from Nepaul, Behar, Mhow, Calcutta, Poona and Sholapoor in the Deccan, 

 Madras, Assam, Pegu, Tenasserim and Ceylon. In Burmah Gates says it is 

 abundantly distributed over the plans of Arrakan and Pegu and in the 

 Northern and Central portions of Tenasserim as far South as the Malay 

 Peninsula. Its breeding habitat is Europe, where, it is said to place its nest on 

 the ground under cover of a tussock on the side of a ditch. The nest is made 

 of fine roots and fibres, and lined with horsehair and wool. Eggs, 4 5 in 

 number, white, spotted with grey. In fact it has a very wide distribution in 

 India during winter, being then found in swampy lands, grass fields, meadows 

 and paddy fields. 



793. Motacilla Peldeggi, Michah., Isis, 1830, p. 814. Motacilla 

 melanocephala, Lichl., Verz. DoubL p. 36. Budytes melanocephalus, Bp., 

 Faun. Hal. Ucc. pi. 31, fig- 35 Sykes, P. Z. S. 1832, p. 290; Jerd., Madr. 

 Journ. p. 9 ; Blyth, Ibis, 1876, p. 30 ; Hume, Ibis, 1870, p. 195 ; Blanf., Geol. 

 Zool. Abyssinia, p. 381 ; Adam, Sir. F. 1873, p. 384; Siol., Sir. F. 1874, 

 p. 464; Butler and Hume, Sir. F. 1875, p. 490; Blan/.> East. Persia, ii. 



