﻿1871.] W. E. Brooks — Some OrninioJogical Notes and Corrections. 251 



soni, shewing that the adult male retains its black back during the autumn 

 and winter months, it is impossible to avoid the conclusion tliat the two 

 species, though closely affined, are thorouglily distinct. 



31. IIod(/soni may be described as a black-backed M. personata. 

 Each species has the eye set in a diamond-shaped white patch, which 

 even in young grey and white birds of the year is conspicuous ; so that 

 neither should ever be confounded with M. luzonieasis or M. Duklumensis. 



Old females of Hodgsoni have black backs like the males ; but 

 younger birds, as I take tliem to be, often have the back grey, but of a 

 more dusky shade than that oi personata, which has the back of a pure light 

 grey. Some females of Hodgsoni have the grey clouded with black to a 

 slight extent, especially on the upper portion of the back. 



A parallel case of specific distinctness existing only in the colour of 

 the back is tliat of Biulytes calcaratus, Hodgson and JBiuhjtes citreola, 

 Pallas; the former of which has a jet black back in the breeding season, 

 while the latter has invariably a grey back, with generally a black half 

 collar at the lower part of the hind neck during the breeding season. I 

 refer to the males only, for the females are very similar to one another. 



MOTACILLA LuZONIENSISj Scop. 



The western limit of this species appears to lie between Dinapore and 

 Buxar, in the districts in which I have been placed. The old males, to a 

 great extent, retain the black back during autumn and winter, and even 

 the old females are somewhat patched and clouded with black at these seasons. 

 The chin and throat is always white, and the loliite hand down the side of the 

 neck, as in M. Dalchimensis, is invariably present at all seasons. This 

 white band communicates with the white surrounding the eye. In M. 

 personata, the eye, at all seasons, is set in a diamond-shaped patch of white, 

 which is bounded below, as well as above, by black ; this white eye-patch 

 has thus no communication with the white of the lower parts, and is the 

 characteristic by which this species may at any time be easily known, when 

 obtained in the plains. 



Mr. Hume has pointed out to me that Dr. Jerdon's description of If. 

 Dukhunensis is only applicable to M. personata, Gould, and tliis, as is proved 

 by his appendix, was Dr. Jerdon's own conclusion ; but in his description, 

 the statement that " the neck all round is black" does not agree with 

 another that in its winter dress it is barely distinguishable from M. Luzo- 

 niensis. M. personata is at all times conspicuously distinct from M. 

 Luzoniensis. Dr. Jerdon's description of M. Dukhunensis is, however, 

 not sufficiently definite to fix the species intended, neither is the original 

 description by Sykes, except for the statement that " it very closely reseni- 



