1903.] H. J. Walton — Occurrence of Motacilla taivana (Swinhoe.) 9 



the day. This year while searching for insects on peepul seedlings, 

 I found this jassid packed away in large numbers under the leaves. 

 Possibly the peepul is its food plant. Peepul seedlings spring up in 

 enormous numbers during the rains in all sorts of likely and unlikely 

 places. For various causes most of these seedlings die out about the 

 beginning of the cold season, but during the time of their growth they 

 would afford an unlimited supply of food for the bug. 



Note on the occurrence of Motacilla taivana (Swinhoe) near Calcutta. — 

 By Capt. H. J. Walton, I.M.S. 



Tn the Fauna of British India, Birds, Vol. II, p. 296, under the 

 heading of Motacilla flava, Mr. Oates remarks : " An allied species, 

 M. taivana, Swinhoe, from China and the Malay Peninsula, is extremely 



likely to be found in Burma A specimen of a wagtail in the 



Hume collection killed at Howrah, Calcutta, would appear to belong to 

 this species, but unless supported by other specimens, it would be pre- 

 mature to pronounce it such." 



With the exception of the specimen mentioned above, I can find no 

 reference to the occurrence of M. taivana in India. 



On January 7th, 1900, amongst a number of live small birds in a 

 coop in the New Market, Calcutta, I noticed a wagtail that I was un- 

 familiar with, I bought the bird and skinned it. I labelled it at the 

 time " ? M. taivana." For various reasons, I have only lately been 

 able to re-examine the skin and to compare it with the wagtails in the 

 Indian Museum. In doing this, I had the great advantage of the assist- 

 ance of Mr. Frank Finn. My bird differs from all the Indian wagtails 

 in the Museum collection, and except that it is of a slightly duller 

 yellow on the under parts, agrees perfectly with a specimen of 

 M. taivana, from Foochow. Mr. Finn agrees with me that my bird is 

 undoubtedly M. taivana. 



The distribution of this species, given by Mr. Bowdler Sharpe, in 

 the Catalogue of Birds in the British Museum, Vol. X, is " Kurile 

 Islands, Eastern Siberia, Danria, Amoorland, throughout China and 

 Formosa, wintering in the Malayan Peninsula." 



The fact of my specimen being exposed for sale in the market in 



the same coop as a miscellaneous lot of common small birds, ' ; ortolans" 



in the language of the market— completely negatives the idea that it 



may have been imported. All these small birds are obtained in the 



j. ii. 2 



