200 MOTACILLA 



Mamula, Khanjan, Hindu ; Sakala sarela-gadu. Tel. 



<J ad. (India). Differs from M. lugubris in having no white on the 

 head or neck excepting a broad superciliary stripe from the nostril to the 

 ear-coverts, passing above these to their end ; lesser and median wing- 

 coverts black ; larger wing-coverts nearly all white. Bill and legs black ; 

 iris brown. Culmen 0*68, wing 3'75, tail 4'1, tarsus 1'05 inch. There 

 appears to be no seasonal change of plumage, and the female resembles 

 the male, but has the upper parts tinged with grey and is considerably 

 smaller. In the young bird the black is replaced by greyish brown, the 

 supercilium in front of the eye is wanting, and the white portions of the 

 plumage are tinged with fulvous. 



Hob. Turkestan, India from Kashmir and Sind to Sikhim 

 and Western Bengal, Ceylon. In India it is a permanent 

 resident, occurring in the Himalayas in summer to an altitude 

 of 3,000 feet, and breeds also in the plains of India. 



In general habits it resembles the European bird, and 

 frequents river-banks, ponds, brooks, &c. In the breeding 

 season it is said to utter a pleasing song. It breeds from March 

 to May, the nest being constructed of grass-bents, rootlets, fine 

 twigs, and vegetable fibres, and lined with hair, wool, or 

 feathers. It is placed in a hole in a bank, under stones, in the 

 woodwork of bridges, or any such suitable place, and the eggs, 

 usually 4 in number, are dull white or greenish white spotted 

 and blotched with different shades of brown, and measure 

 about 0-90 by 0*66. 



298. WHITE WAGTAIL. 

 MOTACILLA ALBA. 



Motacilla alba, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 331 (1766) ; Naum. iii. p. 803, 

 Taf. 86, figs. 1-3 ; Hewitson, i. p. 165, pi. xli, figs. 3, 4 ; Gould, 

 B. of Gt. Brit. iii. pi. 2 ; Newton, i. p. 548 ; Dresser, iii. p. 233, 

 pis. 125, 126 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mns. x. p. 464 ; Saunders, 

 p. 123 ; Lilford, iii. p. 106 pi. 53 ; M. dukhunensis, Sykes, P.Z.S. 

 1832, p. 91. 



Lavandi&re, French ; Pispita, Span. ; Ballerina, Ital. ; Mizizi, 

 Moor. ; Weisse Bachstelze, Germ. ; Witte Kwikstaart, Dutch ; 

 Hmd Vipstjert, Dan. ; Linerle, Norweg. ; Sadesarla, Swed. ; 

 Pcstur, Lapp. ; Veastdrakki, Finn. ; Bidoe Tresoguslika, Russ. ; 

 Mdrin-Erla, Icel. 



ad. (Germany). Forehead to the middle of the crown, sides of head 

 and neck, and underparts from the breast white ; hind crown and neck, 

 chin, throat, and upper breast jet black ; upper parts, scapulars, and 



