MOTACILLA 205 



plains of India, ranging east from Assam down to northern 

 Tenasserim and Pegu. 



In habits it would appear not to differ from M. citreola. It 

 has been found breeding in Kashmir in May, the nest being 

 placed in a depression in soft earth beneath a rock, and the 

 eggs, 4 in number, are pale grey marked with greyish brown 

 and greyish neutral tint, and measure about 0'95 by O70. 



305. BLUE-HEADED WAGTAIL. 

 MOTACILLA FLAVA. 



Motacilla flava, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 331 (1766) ; Naum. iii. p. 839, 

 Taf. 88 ; Hewitson. i. p. 168, pi. xlii. fig. 2 ; Gould, B. of E. 

 pi. 146 ; id. B. of Gt. Brit. iii. pi. 4 ; Newton, i. p. 558 ; 

 Dresser, iii. p. 261, pi. 129, figs. 1, 2; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. 

 x. p. 516 ; Gates, F. Brit. Ind. Birds, ii. p. 295 ; Saunders, 

 p. 127 ; Lilford, iii. p. 110, pi. 56. 



Bergeronnette printani&re, French ; Alveloa amarella, Portug. ; 

 Pispita amarilla, Span. ; Cutti, Ital. ; Gelbe Bachstelze, Germ. ; 

 Gele Kwikstaart, Dutch ; Gul Vipstjert, Dan. ; Gulerle, Norweg. ; 

 Guldrla, Swed. ; Fiskis-cicas, Lapp. ; Kelta- Vdstarakki, Finn. ; 

 Jeltaya Tresoguskka, Russ. 



ad. (Germany). Crown, nape, and sides of head asliy blue ; upper 

 parts deep greenish grey, greener on the rump ; wings and tail 

 dark brown, the former with yellowish or buffy white margins ; 

 outer tail-feathers nearly white ; supercilium, a broad streak below the 

 eye and chin white ; rest of under parts rich canary-yellow ; legs and bill 

 black; iris brown. Culmen, 0'62, wing 3'3, tail 2-10 tarsus TO inch. 

 The female is paler and the head and nape are faintly tinged with 

 olivaceous. In the autumn the yellow in the plumage is paler. The 

 young bird has the crown and nape tinged with brown and the upper 

 parts are greyish brown tinged with olivaceous, the under parts yellowish 

 white and the breast and sides of the neck marked with blackish brown. 

 In all plumages the white or whitish supercilium is present. 



Nab. Europe as far north as Central Sweden, somewhat rare 

 in Great Britain ; Asia as far north as northern Siberia, ranging 

 into N.W. America; wintering in Africa as far south as the 

 Cape Colony, and in Asia as the Moluccas. 



In its habits it has much in common with the common Yellow 

 Wagtail, and frequents meadows, especially where cattle are 



