Balabac (Everett); Basilan (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Bohol (McGregor); Cagayan Sulu (Mearns); Calamianes (McGregor); Calayan (McGregor); Catanduanes (Whitehead); Cebu (Meyer, Everett, McGregor), Guimaras (Steere Exp.); Leyte (Everett); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Meyer, Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead, McGregor, Bartsch); Maestre de Campo (McGregor & Worcester); Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester); Mindanao (Murray, Steere Exp., Mearns); Mindoro (Schmacker, Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead, McGregor); Negros (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Keay); Palawan (Everett, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, White); Panay (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Polillo (McGregor); Romblon (Bourns & Worcester); Samar (Steere Exp.); Sibay (McGregor & Worcester); Sibuyan (Bourns & Worcester); Siquijor (Celestino); Sulu (Bourns & Worcester); Tablas (Bourns & Worcester); Tawi Tawi (Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor); Verde (McGregor). Europe and Siberia; in winter to India, Burmese countries, Malay Peninsula and Indo-Malay islands.

Male (Mindoro, May, 1905).—Above ashy gray, with a slight olivaceous wash on back; rump and tail-coverts bright greenish yellow; lores black; line from nostril over lores, eye, and ear-coverts to nape white; side of head ashy gray; a line from base of lower mandible along side of throat white; chin and throat black, the feathers fringed with white; remainder of under parts canary-yellow, paler on sides and flanks; wing-feathers blackish brown; secondaries with a white spot on outer web, partly concealed by the greater coverts; tertials blacker than primaries and with inner webs largely white and outer webs margined with white or pale yellow; outermost pair of rectrices entirely pure white, next two pairs white with part of the outer web black, remaining rectrices black with a fringe of greenish yellow on outer webs. Length, 190; wing, 80; tail, 87; culmen from base, 13; tarsus, 20.

In winter plumage the chin and throat are white, more or less spotted with black; or else, the entire under parts are white mixed with yellow, except the tail-coverts which seem to remain entirely white. The latter plumage appears to be that of the young. The sexes are similar in colors, but the breeding plumage of the female is said to be paler than that of the male with less black on the throat.

“The gray wagtail is common and a source of constant irritation when one is hunting the little forest kingfishers along small fresh-water streams. M. melanope feeds among the pebbles and is always flying up when least wanted, alarming the more valuable birds. Three males average: Length, 185; wing, 80; tail, 92; culmen, 17; tarsus, 20; middle toe with claw, 15. Two females, length, 189; wing, 81; tail, 96; culmen, 17.5; tarsus, 20; middle toe with claw, 17.5. Iris dark brown; legs, feet, and nails dark brown to black; bill black, except base of lower mandible which is gray.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Genus BUDYTES Cuvier, 1817.

This genus differs from Motacilla in having the tail shorter than the wing and the claw of hind toe much longer than the toe itself. The under parts are yellow in summer plumage, white in winter, and rarely without traces of yellow.

682. BUDYTES LEUCOSTRIATUS Homeyer.[90]
SIBERIAN YELLOW WAGTAIL.

Du-uad, Batan.