MOTACILLIN.E. 217 



589. Motacilla Ma&eraspatana, Brisson. 



Blyth, Cat. 766— Housf., Cat. 551— Jeudon, Cat. 138— 

 Gould, Birds of Asia, pi. — AT. picata, Fkanklin — M. variegata, 

 Sykes, Cat. 85 — Mamula, H., sometimes Bkuin mamula, or 

 Kkanjan — Sahala sarela-gadu, Tel. 



The Pied Wagtail. 



Descr. — Upper plumage, with the chin, throat, and breast, black, 

 with a broad white supercilium, and a large white wing spot, 

 formed by the median and greater coverts, and the edges of some 

 of the primaries; the greater part of the two outermost tail 

 feathers white, also the edges of the upper tail-coverts ; beneath, 

 from the breast, white. The female has the black less pure. 

 In winter the chin, upper part of the throat, and some feathers 

 just below the eye, are white. 



Bill and legs black; hides dark brown. Length 8^ to 9 inches ; 

 wing nearly 4 ; tail 4 ; bill at front f ; tarsus fully 1. 



This is the largest of the group in India, and it changes its 

 plumage in summer only in a trifling degree. In its mode of 

 coloration it comes nearest to the Enicuri, and it is not unlike 

 M. l/igiibiis of Europe and Northern Asia. The Pied Wagtail is 

 found throughout the whole of India (except in lower Bengal), 

 and in Ceylon ; but it does not appear to extend to the east of the 

 Bay of Bengal. It also occurs within the Himalayas, for I found 

 it in Sikhim. It is most truly a Water- Wagtail, being rarely 

 found except on the banks of rivers. It is usually solitary or in 

 pairs, and it is a permanent resident in India, breeding in a hole 

 in a pebbljr bank, or under a shelf of rock, or even under a large 

 stone in the dry bed of a river. I have seen it on the top of 

 Government House, .Madras, and had reason to believe that a pair 

 built their nest there, as others of this group are known to do some- 

 times in similar situations. The eggs are three or four in number, 

 pale greenish-white, with numerous light brown spots. The male 

 has a very sweet song, and is occasionally caged at Madras and 

 elsewhere. 



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