98 allen’p naturalist’s library. 
Motacilla sirfphurea, Newt. ed. Yarr., i., p. 552 (1874); Seeb., Br. 
B., ii., p. 203 (1884); Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B., pt. vi. 
(1888). 
Adult Male in Summer Plumage. — -Above blue-grey, the lower 
rump and upper tail-coverts brighter yellow ; breast yellow, 
the under tail-coverts brilliant yellow ; throat black, with a 
white moustachial streak on each side ; wing-feathers dusky 
brown, edged with ashy olive, the inner secondaries dull white 
near the base of the outer web, forming a wing-patch ; bill 
black ; feet blackish ; iris dark brown. Total length, 6'S 
inches; culmen, 075 ; wing, 3’25 ; tail, 3'551 tarsus, 075. 
Adult Pemale.— Similar to the male, but with less black on 
the throat, the feathers edged with hoary white. Total length, 
7 inches; culmen, o - 6 ; wing, 3-25 ; tail, 3-8; tarsus, o-8. 
Winter Plumage.— Similar to the summer plumage, but with 
the throat white. 
Young Birds. — Like the adults in their winter dress, but with 
a washof pale fawn-colour on the cheeks, throat, and fore-neck ; 
a fawn-coloured eyebrow. 
Range in Great Britain. — Somewhat locally distributed, and 
breeding more particularly in the mountainous and hilly por- 
tions of the British Islands. In the southern counties it is 
chiefly known as an autumn migrant, frequenting streams, hut 
it also breeds in the south, regularly in the south-western 
districts, more sparingly in the south-eastern parts of the coun- 
try. 
Range outside the British Islands.— A bird of very wide distri- 
bution extending throughout Europe and Asia to the Pacific, 
but not extending very high north, nor reaching beyond 
Central Russia, and only found in the extreme south of 
Scandinavia. In the countries of Southern Europe it is a 
resident, but is migratory in the more northern parts of its 
rancre, and it visits in winter the high mountain ranges of North- 
eastern and Central Africa, the peninsula of India, the Bur- 
mese countries, and extends into the Molucca Islands. 
Hahits Although coloured like the Field Wagtails, the 
present 'species is a “ Water ” Wagtail in its habits, and is 
generally found in autumn along the sides of rivers and ponds 
