192 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Key to adult males in winter of genus MOTACILLA. 



1 I Under-parts without any yellow ... 2 

 [ Under-parts with some yellow ... 4 



Back ashy-grey 3 



Back darker, more slate-grey mixed with black M. a. lugubris, p. 20(> 



. Ear-coverts white M. a. alba, p 209 



Ear-coverts black M. a. personata, p. 212 



f Tail longer than wing, outer tail-feather entirely 



I white M. c. cinerea, p. 202 



j Tail not longer than wing, outer tail-feather not 

 entirely white 5 



Crown black with green and greyish-brown 



edges, ear-coverts black and greenish-brown, 



eye-stripe absent M . /. feldegg, p. 198 



Crown greenish-brown, ear-coverts brownish 



slate-colour, eye-stripe absent or ill-defined, 



rarely distinct and well-defined ... M. f. thunbergi, p. 196 



and M. /. cinereocapilla, p 197 

 Crown greenish-brown, ear-coverts brown with 



whitish stripes, eye-stripe yellowish- white M. f. flava, p. 192 



and M. f. beema, p. 196 

 Crown greenish-brown, ear-coverts brown with 



buff or yellowish markings, eye-stripe 



bufnsh-yellow to buff M. f. rayi-, p. 199 



MOTACILLA FLAVA 



77. Motacilla flava flava L. THE BLUE-HEADED WAGTAIL. 



MOTACILLA FLAVA Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 185 (1758 " Habitat 

 in Europa." Restricted typical locality : S. Sweden). 

 Motacilla flava Linnaeus, Yarrell, I, p. 558 ; Saunders, p. 127 ; M. f. flava L., 

 N. F. Ticehurst, Brit. B., i, p. 134 et seq. 



DESCRIPTION (Plate 7). Adult male. Winter. Fore-head and 

 fore-part of crown bluish-grey much obscured by greenish- brown 

 tips of feathers ; rest of crown, mantle and scapulars greenish- 

 brown (yellowish-green tips and edges of feathers soon wear away 

 and fore-head becomes greyer, crown greyish-brown and mantle 

 browner) ; rump yellowish-green ; upper tail-coverts dark brown 

 tipped and fringed green ; line from nostrils over and behind 

 eye and apex of chin white slightly tinged creamy-yellow ; lores, 

 line under eye and ear-coverts brown with whitish markings ; 

 rest of chin, throat, lower-breast, belly and under tail-coverts 

 bright yellow ; upper-breast buffish-yellow, and many of the 

 feathers, especially in centre and at sides, marked dark brown, 

 forming a very ill-defined pectoral band ; flanks greenish-yellow ; 

 under wing-coverts and axillaries very pale yellow ; tail-feathers 

 black-brown, very narrowly fringed greenish to whitish-yellow, 



