motacillinje. 219 



The Black-faced Wagtail. 



Descr. — In summer plumage, the back and scapulars pale grey ; 

 occiput, nape, wings, and tail, black ; a supercilium, wing-patch, 

 and outermost tail-feathers, white ; beneath, the throat, neck, and 

 breast, black, the rest white ; primaries are dusky, edged with 

 white, and the upper tail-coverts ashy, edged with black. 



In winter dress, the chin, throat, and beneath the eye, are white, 

 leaving only a small patch of black on the breast; the occiput 

 and nape also are grey, the white wing-patch smaller ; the coverts 

 and secondaries also grey, edged paler. 



Bill and legs black ; hides brown. Length 7i to 8 inches ; 

 wing 8f ; tail -if; bill at front rather more than f ; tarsus nearly 1. 



This species is the representative, in Southern and Western 

 India, of the white-faced Wagtail, from which, in its winter dress, 

 it is barely distinguishable; but a black feather or two on the 

 chin, usually to be found, is a sure indication of the present 

 species. It differs from luzoniensis by the permanently grey back. 

 It very closely resembles M. alba of Europe, but differs by its 

 great wing-patch, and by the neck all round, and the ear-feathers, 

 being black. 



This Wagtail is found throughout Southern and Central India, 

 extending into the N. W. Provinces, Sindh, the Punjab, and 

 Affohanistan. Adams, however, savs that he did not see it at 

 Peshawur, and that the former species is the common Wagtail 

 of Cashmere. It also is found in Ceylon. It is not very 

 abundant in the extreme south of the peninsula, but is very 

 eommon in the Deccan, and in Central India, coming in about the 

 beginning of October, and leaving in March or April. It is a very 

 familiar bird, feeding close to houses, stables, and in gardens ; often, 

 indeed, entering verandahs, and coming into an open room if not 

 disturbed. It runs about briskly after small insects, and is very 

 active in catching the flies that infest the vicinity of stables and 

 out-houses. Like the last, a small party of them may be seen 

 towards evening on the bank of a river or tank, though, when 

 feeding, it is usually solitary. Out of India the geographical distri- 

 bution of these two last Wagtails is not recorded, but they probably 

 breed respectively in the Eastern and Western sides of Central and 



