MOTACILLA. 293 



number, are dull white or pale greenish marked with brown of 

 various shades, and measure about *9 by *66. 



832. Motacilla melanope. TJie Gray Wagtail. 



Motacilla melanope, Pall. Reis. Buss. EeicJis, iii, p. 696, (1776) ; 



Legge, Birds' Cei/l. p. 610 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. x, p. 497 ; Oates in 



Hume's N. $ E. 2nd ed. ii, p. 207. 



Motacilla boarula, Linn. Mant. p. 527 (1771) ; Blyth, Cat. p. 137. 

 Motacilla sulphiirea, Bechst. Nature/. DeutscJil. iii, p. 459 (1807). 

 Calobates sulpliurea (Bechst. \ Horef. $ M. Cat. \, p. 349 ; Jerd. B. 



I. ii, p. 220 ; Hume 8f Senders. Lah. to Yark. p. 224. 

 Calobates boarula (Penn.), apud Hume, N. Sf E. p. 381. 

 Calobates melanope (Pall.), Hume, Cat. no. 592; Oates, B. B. i, 



p. 159 ; Barnes, Birds Bom, p. 237. 



The Gray and Yellow Wagtail, Jerd. ; Mudi-tippudu-jitta, Tel. 



Coloration. Male. After the autumn moult the whole crown 

 and sides of the head, the hind neck, back, scapulars, and lesser 

 wing-coverts are bluish grey, tinged with green ; the rump and 

 upper tail-coverts yellowish green ; the three middle pairs of tail- 

 feathers black, margined with greenish ; the next two pairs white, 

 with the greater portion of the outer webs black ; outermost pair 

 entirely white ; median and greater coverts and quills dark brown, 

 edged with yellowish white ; a narrow dull white supercilium from 

 the lores to the end of the ear-coverts ; chin, throat, and fore neck 

 white ; remaining lower plumage bright yellow, rather deeper on 

 the vent and under tail-coverts. 



In the spring the lores become dark brown, and the supercilium 

 becomes much broader and clearer ; the lower eyelid is clothed 

 with whitish feathers, and the ear-coverts are dark slaty ; there is 

 a very broad white moustachial streak extending down the sides of 

 the neck ; and the chin, throat, and part of the fore neck are black, 

 with small white edges to the feathers ; as the summer passes, 

 these edges become worn but seldom entirely disappear. 



Female. After the autumn moult resembles the male ; and in the 

 spring merely acquires two rows of dark brown spots, one on 

 each side of the chin, throat, and fore neck, the two sometimes 

 meeting like a gorget on the upper breast ; the colour of the lower 

 plumage is less brilliant than that of the male. 



The young bird resembles the adult in winter plumage, but the 

 white parts are strongly tinged with buff. 



Bill horn-colour, paler at the base of the lower mandible ; iris 

 brown ; legs flesh-colour. 



Length about 7'5 ; tail 3-7 ; wing 3-2 ; tarsus '75 ; bill from 

 gape -7 ; hind toe and claw -55. 



Distribution. A winter visitor to every portion of the Empire, 

 retiring in summer to those parts of the Himalayas which are 

 above 6000 feet elevation, where a few birds of this species may 

 also be found in winter. In the winter this Wagtail extends down 

 to Malayana. In summer it has a very large range over the 



