Mr. H. Seebohm on the Ornithology of Siberia. 345 
examples of the European form of M. alba —an additional 
proof that this character cannot be deemed specifie in the 
Wagtails. I did not meet with this bird until my return 
journey. The particulars of its geographical distribution in 
Siberia^ so far as I had an opportunity of observing it, are 
given under the head of M. alba. 
H" Motacilla ocularis, Swinhoe. 
Motacilla ocularis, Swinhoe, P. Z. S. 1863, p. Vfz ■ 
Motacilla alba, Linn., var. lugens, Ill. Midd. Sib. Reise, 
ii. p. 166 (1851, nec Ill. nec Temm.). 
Motacilla baicalensis, var. temporalis, Swinhoe, P. Z. S. 
1871, p. 363. 
In the Museum at St. Petersburg I had an opportunity of 
examining several skins collected by Middendorff in North 
and East Siberia labelled Motacilla lugens. They all proved 
on examination to be Motacilla ocularis, a grey-backed pied 
Wagtail, with a black patch on the hind crown extending to 
the nape, and another on the throat and breast. It differs 
from Motacilla alba in having a narrow black line extending 
from the centre of the black patch on the head, and passing 
through the eyes to the base of the bill. In the same museum 
were skins of M. ocularis from the Amoor, collected by 
Schrenck, from Mongolia, collected by Prjevalski, and from 
the Tschuski Land, collected by Maydell. I did not meet 
with this species on the Yen-e-say'; and probably the water¬ 
shed between that river and the Lay'-na is its western 
boundary. 
/ Motacilla amurensis, sp. nov. (Plate IX.) • 
Motacilla alba, var. lugens, v. Schrenck, Anrur-Lande, i. 
p. 338. ' ■ 
In the present condition of ornithological literature, loaded 
with synonyms, any one who adds a name to the almost ex- 
haustless list is guilty of a crime; but where the species 
proves to have been undescribed before, his fellow ornitho¬ 
logists will admit that he has a right to plead extenuating 
circumstances.'’'’ I am afraid I shall be unable to complete 
my list of Siberian Wagtails without describing a skin in my 
