BLACK-HEADED WAGTAIL, 93 



INSECTIVOKjE. 



Familij MO TA CILLIDM. 

 Genus Motacilla. (Latham.) 



BLACK-HEADED WAGTAIL. 



Motacilla melanocephala. 



Motacilla melanocephala, Bonaparte; Icon. d. Faun. Ital., 



P 1 - 3'» % 3- 



" " Degland. Lichtenstein. Dubois. 



" flava-melanocephala, Schlegel; Revue. Bree; ist. Ed. 



" viridis, Gmelin. Scopoli. Hodgson. 



Budytes melanocephala, Menetries. 

 Bergeronnette, or Hochqueue a tete 



Noire, Of the French. 



Schwarzkopfige gelbe schafstelze, Of the Germans. 



Specific Characters. — Top of the head and cheeks a deep black ; beak 

 black; throat white. Length about six inches. 



This species was described and figured by Prince Charles Bonaparte, 

 in the "Fauna Italica," pi. 31. Its claims to specific distinction have., 

 however, been doubted by Temminck and others. Mr. TristraiHr writes 

 me word that lie has seen every gradation of colour from M. jlateola, 

 (our Yellow Wagtail,) up to the present bird, and he has sent me 

 specimens which bear out this opinion. It is, in fact, very probable 

 that all the European Yellow Wagtails are permanent varieties or races 

 of the same type. Mr. Tristram writes, "I have obtained M. flaveola, 

 (Ray's Wagtail,) in Morocco, where it is certainly the general, if not 

 the only variety. In Spain and Portugal I have got it, and not M. 

 jlava, and I presume that on the Atlantic coast 31. flaveola is the 

 commonest form. In Algeria M. Jlava is almost universal, but I have 



