29 [Vol. xxi. 



Dr. C. B. TiCEHURST exhibited a number of specimeus of 

 the Blue-headed Wagtail, and made the following remarks 

 on the form found in the Nile Delta : — 



" These birds, which came to me from Mr. W. L. S. Loafs 

 collection, were obtained in the Nile Delta in the spring of 

 1903. On comparing them with birds in my own collection 

 and with the descriptions of others, I could not satisfy 

 myself that they were quite the same as any Wagtail with 

 which I was acquainted. Accordingly, 1 sent them to 

 Dr. Hartert, who kindly informed me that they were the 

 Budytes pygmaus described by A. E. Brehm [cf. J. f. O- 

 1854, p. 74) and obtained by him in Egypt. The form 

 should stand as Motacilla fiava pygmcea. These birds seem 

 to have been overlooked by all those who have subsequently 

 collected in Egypt. 



" Dr. Hartert places this bird in his ' Vogel der pala- 

 arktischen Fauna ' as a synonym of Motacilla flavajlava, L., 

 having had only one specimen for examination. 



" Motacilla flava pygmaea is most nearly allied to M. f. 

 dnereicapilla, Savi, but both sexes may be at once distin- 

 guished by having a shorter wing and tail ; the wing-bars 

 are less conspicuous and duller, and in most male specimens 

 the olive-colour on the flanks is more pronounced. The 

 female is darker on the crown, forehead, and mantle than 

 the female of M. f. dnereicapilla, and the superciliary eye- 

 stripe is almost or entirely wanting. 



" The average measurements of adult males in spring are as 

 follows : — 



Wing. Tail, 

 mm. mm. 

 Motacilla flava flava ... 81 68 

 M.f. dnereicapilla .... 81 67 



M.f. borealis 80 Q7 



M.f.pygmeea 73 60 



" In all these subspecies the females are slightly smaller 

 than the males. 



" I have compared my specimens with the Wagtails in the 

 British Museum, and amongst the series there 1 found five 



