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SENS Pe NE RRO Se Ca i SN Se Ne OS a NZ
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BUDYTES CITREOLOIDR S, Hodes.
Yellow-headed Waetail.

Budytes citreoloides, Hodgs. in Gray’s Zool. Mise., 1844, p. 83.

——— ealcaratus, Hodgs. Asiat. Res., vol. xix. p. 190?
presented to Brit. Mus. by B. H. Hodgson

—— citreola, Jerd. Madras Journ. of Lit. and eee

—Gray, Cat. of Spec. and Draw. of M

Esq., p. 76?

Olea ye Slut “oe Sci ;

Zool. BO part il. p. 90.—Blyth, Journ. of Aaihe Soc. eae = : ae fe - Se
Mus. Asiat. Soc. Calcutta, p-138.—Bonap. Consp. Gen. Ay., i 280 ae a = 6 ah a ea
aot Birds in Mus. East-Ind. Comp. vol. ii. p. 352.—Jerd. Birds ae vol li "
vol. ii. pt. ii. p. 873.— Adams in Proc. of Zool. Soc., pt. xxvi. 1858. » 486 a

Motacilla citreola, Gould, Birds of Europe, vol. ii. pl. 144, SS

Zurcha, Cabul (Blyth).

amm. and Birds

. and Moore,

Did pe 225) and

Dr. von Mippenvorr has ventured an opinion that the bird I have

figured on the 144th Plate of my
‘Birds of Kurope’ as the female of Budytes citreola

is different from that described by Pallas under the
name of Motacilla citreola. 1 regret to say that, as there are no Russian specimens in this country, I am
unable to institute a comparison and determine whether this be really the case or not. Mr. Jerdon, in his
recently published ‘ Birds of India,’ has treated the Indian bird as identical with the Siberian, but, in a note
at the end of the concluding volume, says, the former, “ writes Mr. Blyth, is distinct from Budytes citreola
vera, and will stand as B. citreoloides, Hodgs.” If this be the true state of the case, I en error in
employing the specific term cétreola for the birds represented in the ‘ Birds of Europe,’ my figures having
been taken from Indian examples. :

FZ YY

pos)

a ee

The Plate which I now publish contains a correct representation of two fully adult birds, in summer

we

plumage, which were killed on the peninsula of India, and for which I have retained Mr. Hodgson’s name
of B. citreoloides. 1 may remark that all the specimens from India with bright yellow heads do not at
the same time possess such jet-black backs as shown in the lower figure in my Plate: this latter hue
seems to be seasonal, and is doubtless characteristic of the male in the nuptial dress ; for I have specimens
with rich-yellow heads in which the back is grey, while in others it is partly grey and partly black. Little
has been recorded respecting the habits and economy of this beautiful bird. Col. Sykes informs us that it
has the habits, manners, aspect, and size of B. melanocephala, and that, like that species, it is solitary, and
only found in the vicinity of rivers; but he never saw the two birds in company. Larve of insects and
greenish mud were found in the stomachs of those he examined. He believes that this species, together
with B. melanocephala and B. Beema, all possessing the long hind claw, do not habitually perch, but, like
other birds furnished with a similar claw, nocturnate on the ground.

“This migratory species,” says Mr. Jerdon, ‘‘ which is remarkable for the great length of its hind claw,
is found over all parts of India, during the cold weather. It is not very abundant, and is never found in
dry places, like the Budytes viridis, but on the banks of rivers and lakes, and more particularly in swampy
ground or in inundated rice-fields, apparently affecting concealment more than the coo speuies of this
group. It has been seen in its breeding-plumage at Mussooree, and is then a very beautiful bird. .

Dr. Leith Adams observes that this bird is common in the Deccan, Punjab, and Scinde, and is equally
numerous in marshes and wet situations in the Valley of Cashmere, and in all similar places in Ladakh.

In the full breeding-plumage, the head, neck, breast, and mune suuitiawe is nel yellow, with a wash of
olivaceous on the flanks ; back jet-black ; wings dull black ; the piimames edged with grey, and the a
margined with white ; wing-coverts black, broadly tipped with white, forming my ae a a
under tail-coverts yellowish white; tail black, with the outermost feathers on each _ ; ue excepting
a portion of their inner web and the extreme base of the outer ; bill and feet plac ; a es oe ve

The female has the head, and those parts which are black in the mele, of a dark grey hue, a stripe o
yellow over the eye, and the white margins to the wing-feathers less as kite. with a fies omeelneaa

Young birds have the upper surface pout eee ee ae sy — above dere sien |
some specimens, and a gorget of dusky spots ; less white on the wing ; < 5
chin, and ear-coverts yellow. a

The Plate represents the two sexes, of the size of lite.