Page:The Common Birds of Bombay.djvu/129

Rh that again it is white. In summer it dons a different costume, in which the throat and breast and the back of the head and neck are all black, but we seldom, if ever, see this, because at that time it is in Siberia or thereabouts. There is a difficulty about the name of this bird. There are in fact two species of Grey Wagtails, quite distinct from each other, but very difficult to distinguish, so much alike are they in their winter plumage. In the early seventies Mr. A. O. Hume was very much exercised about these two birds, and at that time he was very innocent of any leaning towards Buddhist principles in the matter of taking animal life. He engaged all his friends and helpers in a jehad against the whole race of Grey Wagtails, that he might determine to which species they belonged. I never heard the number of the slain, but some survived, and I believe that by far the greater number of those which visit us are of the species known in Europe as the White Wagtail (Motacilla alba). In Jerdon's book this and the other are lumped together under the name Motacilla dukkhiinensis, the Black-faced Wagtail, a most unfortunate name for a bird whose most striking feature, when it comes to us, is its clean white face.

Then there are the Yellow and Green Wagtails, birds with olive or slaty backs and yellow breasts, perplexingly like each other in their winter plumage. The two commonest kinds are described by Jerdon under the names—the Grey-and-Yellow Wagtail (Calobates sulphurea) and the Indian Field Wagtail (Budytes viridis). All these come to us in September and remain till nearly May, disporting themselves in all open places. They are always to be found among