212 



A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



observation. In autumn returns from mid-Aug. to early Oct. along 

 same routes. Occasionally inland. 



DISTRIBUTION. Abroad. Europe, from Iceland and Scandinavia 

 to Mediterranean, east to Ural accidental on Jan Mayen, in south 

 Greenland and Ungava, N. America ; winters in tropical Africa, 

 touches Azores (exceptionally), Madeira and Canary Islands ; is 

 replaced as a breeding-bird in British Isles and parts of north-west 

 France by M . a. lugubris, and by other allied forms in north-west 

 Africa and across Asia to Kuriles and Japan. 



86. Motacilla alba personata Gould. MASKED WAGTAIL. 



MOTACILLA PERSONATA Gould, B. Asia, iv, pi. 63 (1861 India). 

 Motacilla alba personata Gould, M. J. Nicoll, Bull. B.O.C., xxxix, p. 89. 



DESCRIPTION . Adult male . 

 Winter. Upper-parts as in M. a. 

 alba but mantle and scapulars 

 rather paler grey ; black of nape 

 extending round sides of neck 

 and joining black of throat ; ear- 

 coverts black ; white of fore-head 

 extending in a broad line over 

 and behind eye and under eye ; 

 apex of chin white, rest of chin, 

 throat and upper-breast black, 

 feathers with white bases, but 

 feathers of centre of throat often 

 mostly white with black tips ; rest 

 of under-parts as M. a. alba ; tail 

 as M. a. lugubris ; wing-feathers 

 as in M . a. alba ; greater wing- 

 coverts with broader and whiter 

 tips and edges than in M . a. alba 



with only their bases grey and sometimes with dark grey shaft - 

 streaks ; lesser coverts as in M. a. alba. This plumage is acquired 

 by complete moult in Aug. -Nov. Summer. A moult takes place 

 as in M . a. alba. After moult black of crown extends further on to 

 upper mantle and some feathers of rest of mantle and scapulars are 

 often marked with black ; rump blacker ; chin and throat uniform 

 black ; greater wing-coverts with whole outer webs w r hite and long 

 white tips, inner webs blackish-grey ; median coverts with whole 

 appearing portion white ; inner secondaries when renewed with 

 most of outer webs white. 



Adult female. Winter. Like adult winter male but with little 

 or no black on crown which is grey usually with some admixture 

 of black ; ear -co verts and sides of neck usually less jet-black ; 

 centre of throat usually with more white. Moult as in male. 



Masked Wagtail (M. a. personata). 

 ad. summer. 



median coverts mostly white 



