MOTACILLID^ MOTACILLA 263 



152. Motacilla flava borealis. Grey -headed Wagtail. 



Motacilla flava borealis, Sundev. (Efv. K. Vet.-Akad. Fork. Stockh. 



1840, p. 53; Fine-hand Hartl. Vog. Ostafr. p. 272 (1870). 

 Motacilla viridis, Gray, Gen. B. i, p. 203 (1847) ; Dresser, B. Europe, 



iii, p. 181, pi. 129, fig. 3 (1875). 



Budytes viridis, Sharpe, ed. La-yard's B. S.Afr. p. 853 (1884). 

 Motacilla borealis, Sharpe, Cat. B. M. x, p. 522, pi. 7, fig. 2 (1885) ; 



Shelley, B. Afr. i, p. 12 (1896). 



Description. Adult male in summer. Differs from the male of 

 M . flava in having no white eyebrow ; the crown and nape dark 

 slate-colour ; the lores, feathers round the eye, and ear-coverts 

 black ; the lower throat mottled with greenish-black. 

 Iris hazel ; bill, legs and feet black. 



Length 6-85; wing 3-30; tail 3-00; tarsus 0-80; culmen 0-50. 

 Adult female in summer. Duller in colour than the male ; crown 

 and nape olive-grey ; a distinct eyebrow dull white ; lores and ear- 

 coverts grey-brown, with a whitish streak below ; below, paler 

 yellow than the male, the lower throat mottled with greenish- 

 black. 



Length 6-50 ; wing 3-00 ; tail 2-80. 



Young. Above, greyish-brown, the rump greyer ; crown like the 

 back ; lores and eyebrow white ; feathers before and under the eye, 

 as well as the ear-coverts, slate-colour ; cheeks and throat white, the 

 lower throat mottled with greenish-black ; rest of under surface 

 buff-colour, the sides and flanks tinged with brown, the centre of 

 breast with large black spots ; axillaries and under wing-coverts 

 white, their bases dusky. 



Distribution. Breeds in Northern Europe and Siberia and 

 migrates in winter to Southern Asia and Africa. In South Africa 

 it has occurred once or twice in the Transvaal. 



Habits. The Grey-headed Wagtail can hardly be looked upon 

 as more than a geographical race of M. flava. Its habits are similar, 

 and its eggs resemble those of the latter. 



153. Motacilla melanocephala. Black-headed Wagtail. 



Motacilla melanocephala, Licht. Verz. Doubl. p. 36 (1823) ; Dresser, B. 



Europe, iii, p. 273, pi. 160 (1875) ; Shelley, B. Afr. i, p. 12 (1896). 

 Motacilla feldeggi, Michah. Isis, 1830, p. 814 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. x, 



p. 527 (1885). 

 Budytes melanocephalus, Bp. Fauna Hal., Ucc., pi. 31, fig. 3 (1832) ; 



Sharpe, ed. Layard's B. S. Afr. p. 551 (1884). 

 Budytes flava melanocephala, Schl. Rev. Crit. p. 38 (1814) ; Heugl. 



Orn. N. O.-Afr. i, p. 321 (1869). 

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