144 



adjuncts to its sojourn in a locality." It is found in Persia, as there is, Mr. Blanford remarks 

 (E. Pers. ii. p. 233), a specimen in the British Museum from that country which does not differ 

 from Indian examples ; but all those obtained by Mr. Blanford in Persia differ slightly from 

 typical M. per sonata and belong to the form designated by him M. personata, var. persica. 



Major Wardlaw Ramsay and Col. Swinhoe record M. personata as being abundant in 

 Afghanistan, where it breeds ; and in Kashmir it is said to be resident, as Col. J. Biddulph states 

 (Str. Feath. ix. p. 333) that it is " common in Gilgit all the year round, ascending in summer to 

 about 9000 feet or more. Severe weather in winter, spring, and autumn always drives a number 

 down to the low ground. They are as good as a barometer, always appearing a day before the 

 bad weather, and disappearing again before it entirely clears." Severtzoff records it from 

 Turkestan, and, according to Scully (Str. Feath. iv. p. 151), it is " the common Wagtail of Eastern 

 Turkestan, where -it is found in great numbers throughout the plains, generally near habitations 

 and streams of running water. It is most numerous from March to September, but some of 

 these birds are certainly to be seen throughout the year." It breeds, he adds, in May. 



The brothers Grum-Grzimailo obtained it in the Bogdo-ola mountains, Tian-shan ; and 

 Dr. Severtzoff remarks (Ibis, 1883, p. 64) that it was not observed at all either on the Alai or 

 Pamir, until the end of August and the first days of September, when many specimens were 

 obtained. 



Mr. Pleske states (Wissenschaft. Result. Przewalski's Keis. ii. p. 183) that " on the journey 

 to the Lob-nor Motacilla personata was met with in the valleys of the Kunge and Lower Tarim 

 and in the Tian-shan. The first stragglers were met with in Ssaissansk on the 12th March, 

 1879, and on the Lob-nor on the 5th March, 1885. It was very common on the Urungu River 

 and on the southern spurs of the Altai. On passage it was observed on the Tschertschen Darja, 

 and breeding on the northern slopes of the Chotan-tagh, in the oases of Mja, Keria, and 

 Ssampula." In the north it is found in Central Asia ; and in Eastern Siberia Dr. Finsch (Ibis, 

 1877, p. 51) remarks that he observed this Wagtail in the streets of Lepsa, and along the whole 

 road through the Tarbagatai and Altai to Kolywan ; and according to Taczanowski (Sib. Orient, 

 p. 368), " Godlewski states that it only occurs on the southern Baikal on passage and is rare, 

 more so in the autumn than in the spring. It arrives in the first half of May. When travelling 

 through the province of Yenneseisk in August he observed parties of young birds with their 

 parents, so that it evidently must breed there, and is common." Southward it ranges into India, 

 where Mr. Oates says (Faun. Brit. Intl., Birds, ii. p. 291) it is a winter visitor to the whole of 

 India proper, down to Belgaum on the south and to Calcutta on the east. 



In Persia and in the Caucasus a form occurs which is intermediate between M. personata 

 and M. alba, and is the Motacilla personata, var. persica, of Blanford, and If. persica of the 

 Brit. Mus. Catalogue of Birds. The variations inter se of this form are great, and I am very 

 doubtful if it can be considered a good species or even subspecies, and have therefore not 

 included it as such. According to Dr. Radde (Orn. Cauc. p. 223, pi. xii.) it would appear that 

 in the Caucasus this form approaches much closer to M. alba, whereas in Persia, according to 

 Blanford (E. Pers. ii. p. 232), it varies but little from typical M. personata in having a few white 

 feathers at the side of the neck and in having the area of white below and behind the eye 

 rather more extensive. This form breeds in the Caucasus, as does also M. alba, and some few 



