114 PASSERES. 



85. MOTACILLA BOAEULA. 



(GREY WAGTAIL.) 



Motadlla boarula, Linneus, Mantissa Plantarum, p. 527 (1771). 



The Grey Wagtail has yellow under tail-coverts, much more bril- 

 liant than the yellow breast and belly. Japanese examples have, on 

 an average, shorter tails than those from Europe. 



Figures : Dresser, Birds of Europe, iii. pi. 128. 



The Grey Wagtail is found on all the Japanese Islands, but is 

 probably only a summer visitor to the Kuriles, whence I have 

 examples collected by Mr. Snow, and to Yezzo, whence there are 

 examples in the Swinhoe collection obtained by Captain Blakiston 

 (Swii)hoe, Ibis, 1874, p. 157). A pair were found at Hakodadi by 

 the Perry expedition twenty years earlier (Cassin, Exp. Am. Squad. 

 China Seas and Japan, ii. p. 221). There are several examples in 

 the Pryer collection from Yokohama, and Mr. Ringer gave me two 

 examples from Nagasaki, where those obtained by the Siebold ex- 

 pedition were doubtless procured (Temmiuck and Schlegel, Fauna 

 Japoniea, Aves, p. 59). It has been obtained early in March on the 

 central group of the Loo-Choo Islands (Stejneger, Proc. United 

 States Nat. Mus. 1886, p. 642), and there is an example in the 

 Pryer collection from the same locality (Seebohm, Ibis, 1887, p. 176). 



The Grey Wagtail has a very extensive breeding-range, from the 

 British Islands across Russia and Siberia to Japan ; but there can 

 be no doubt that eastern examples have on an average shorter tails 

 than western examples. Fifty Asiatic examples vary in the length 

 of the tail from 3"1 to 3"75 inches; whilst forty examples from 

 England, Europe, and Asia Minor vary from 3"5 to 4"1 inches. The 

 eastern form was described in 1776 as Motadlla melanope (Pallas, 

 Reis. Russ. Reichs, iii. p. 696), and may fairly claim to be sub- 

 specifically distinct under the name of Motadlla boarula melanope. 



86. MOTACILLA FLAVA. 



(BLUE-HEADED WAGTAIL.) 



Motadlla Jlava, Linneus, Syst. Nat. i. p. 331 (1766). 

 The Blue-headed Wagtail has the breast, belly, and under tail- 



