28 The Wagtails of India. 



The well-marked black monstacliial line which has been 

 considered the distinguishing' character of Hodgsoui is clearly 

 merely a stage of plumage. Exactly the same chai-acteristic line 

 is met with in Persouata, about March^ when the black of the 

 breast begins to ei-eep up the upper part of the throat to the 

 chin; and this moiistachial stripe shews itself again in Septem- 

 ber^ when the chin has l^ecome white and the throat has begun 

 to exhibit snowy speckles ; in fact both in Luzoniensis, Scop., 

 (which isj I suppose^ the name that must stand founded on pla'"je 



29 of Sonnerat's Voyage a la Nouvelle Guinee) and Pei'sonata, 

 in both of which I have shewn that the chin and throat become 

 ultimately quite blacky it is the feathers along this so-called 

 moustachial line which first, (as compared with those of the 

 immediately contiguous parts) assume, and latest divest them- 

 selves of, the black tint. 



In the breeding plumage the female oi I/uzoniensis differs only 

 in its smaller size, and the somewhat browner black of the buck, 

 somewhat as may be observed in the breeding plumage of the 

 two sexes of Madrasjoatana. 



Of the cold weather plumage of this species, I cannot speak 

 with any great certainty, and on this point further careful obser- 

 vations are I think necessary. I have as yet obtained but few 

 specimens showing the transition from the grey of the winter 

 to the black of the summer plumage and vice versa ; but at the 

 same time there is no doubt of the fact, and it would be very 

 interesting to trace the changes in plumage from October to 

 March, as I have endeavoiired to trace those from April to Sep- 

 tember. It may be that Liigtthns, as supposed by Schlegel, is a 

 cold weather form of Luzoniensis, but the distribution of the black 

 and white in the former species hardly looks to me compatible 

 with this supposition. 



Of the grey -backed species I may premise that I myself have 

 never been satisfied that Dulchmensis really deserves specific separ- 

 ation from Alba, any more than I am satisfied that Pratincola 

 Indica and Pratincola Uuhicola i-eqitire distinct specific appellations. 

 The two forms so closely resemble each other, that all that I 

 shall have to say about the one will, I believe, be equally appli- 

 cable to the other. Certainly there is no constant difference 

 in size in the two species. I have five male Alha before me from 

 different places on the Continent, the wings of which vary from 

 3'4 to 3'6 inches ; and I have forty specimens of Bukhunensis 

 about half of which are male, and in this latter sex the wings in 

 this race also vary from 3'4 to 3'6 inches; in length of bill, tarsi, 

 and tail, a certain amount of difference is observable amongst 

 individuals of both races but none between the two as a body. 



