38 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. xm. 



the mantle of the White Wagtail is of a purer and paler grey 

 and the flanks are paler, while the wing-feathers are not 

 so brownish as they are in the first winter Pied Wagtail. 

 But all these differences are variable, and I have seen examples 

 difficult to distinguish. In summer plumage the adult 

 male White Wagtail, having no black at all in the mantle, 

 can only be confused with those first summer female Pied 

 Wagtails which have scarcely any black in the mantle, but 

 even in the field the adult tnalc White Wagtail is distinguish- 

 able by the purer and paler grey of the mantle, while the 

 black of its throat extends further towards the breast than 

 in the female Pied Wagtail. 



3. First Winter and Summer Pied Wagtail (Fig. 7). In 

 rummer the black in the mantle always distinguishes it 

 from any White Wagtail but in winter it can be confused 

 with the White Wagtail as explained in the first portion of 

 paragraph 2. 



4. First Winter and Summer White Wagtail. In winter 

 is distinguished from any Pied by the slight amount, or absence, 

 of black on the crown, also the fore-head is usually grey and 

 not white, and the mantle is generally a paler grey though 

 this is not always so. The first summer White Wagtail 

 is like the adult, except for browner wings and tail, and 

 can be distinguished as explained in the second portion of 

 paragraph 2. 



Females. 



5. Adult Pied Wagtail (Fig. 3) always has black on the 

 mantle, though usually less than in the adult male, and can 

 be distinguished by this feature from any White Wagtail. 



6. Adult White Wagtail (Figs. 2 and 5). In winter can 

 always be distinguished from any Pied by the absence or 

 slight amount of black on the crown and by the grey and 

 not white fore-head (sometimes a little white shows, as the 

 bases of the feathers are white). 



In summer it can be confused very easily with those first 

 summer female Pied Wagtails which have only a very slight 

 trace of black in the mantle. Some examples have only a 

 feather or two with a little black, and this can only be seen 

 by the closest examination. The only differences in such 

 birds are comparative, viz., the slightly paler mantle of the 

 White and the rather darker rump of the Pied. 



7. First Winter and Summer Pied Wagtail (Figs. 4 and i). 

 In winter can be confused with the adult male White as 

 explained in the first portion of paragraph 2. In summer 



