WAGTAILS AND PIPITS 



[ORDER : Pdsseriformes. FAMILY : Motacillidce] 

 PRELIMINARY CLASSIFIED NOTES 



[F. C. R. JOURDAIN. W. P. PYCRAFT. A. L. THOMSON] 



PIED-WAGTAIL [Motacilla alba lugubris, Temm. Dishwasher, penny- 

 wagtail, nanny- washtail, whipjack, grey hemplin, Watty. German, Trauer- 

 Bachstdze]. 



i. Description. Easily recognised by the black, white, and grey plumage, 

 and the long black tail bounded externally by two conspicuous white feathers. 

 (PL 26.) In summer the male has the upper parts black, except the forehead, 

 and sides of the head and neck, which are white. The chin, throat, and forepart 

 of the breast are black, the rest of the under parts being white, save the flanks, 

 which are slate-grey. The wing feathers are black with white margins, broad on 

 the inner secondaries, very narrow on the primaries. Length 7'3 in. [185 mm.]. 

 The hen has a leaden grey back mottled with black, rather less black on the head 

 and throat, and a rather shorter tail. After the autumn moult the black on 

 the back of the male is replaced by dark grey save the rump, which remains 

 black, while the black throat is replaced by white, so that the whole of the under 

 parts are white relieved by a crescentic black gorget, and grey flanks. The 

 female can, at this season, hardly be distinguished from the male, but has the 

 black areas rather smaller. In the fledgling black is absent, the upper parts 

 being entirely olive-brown, the auriculars buff with a tinge of grey, throat buff 

 with a moustachial streak of dark slate-grey, passing downwards to meet in the 

 middle line on the fore-neck. Flanks grey tinged with brown, breast dull white. 

 On leaving the nest the sides of the face and forehead become white, and a pectoral 

 band of grey appears. At the autumn moult black feathers appear in the crown, 

 and the black gorget, characteristic of the adult in winter, is developed, while the 

 grey of the mantle takes on a darker hue. A sulphur-yellow colour commonly 

 suffuses the white areas of the head in young birds at this moult, [w. p. p.] 



2F 



