THE WHITE WAGTAIL IN SOUTH-EAST OF SCOTLAND 13 



island Fife, on October 2, 1875. 1 1876 Cordeaux observed 

 "a remarkably fine example " a few miles north of Dunblane 

 on September 7 (" Zoologist," p. 5 167). Turnbull regarded it 

 as " a very rare summer visitor " to East Lothian, but gives no 

 particulars. I believe, however, I was the first to recognise 

 it as an annual visitor, when on migration, to this part of 

 Scotland on which point see my note in " Proceedings of 

 Royal Physical Society," 1885-86, p. 186. 



During the second half of April or even earlier and the 

 first half of May, groups of from two or three up to as many 

 as a score, en route for their summer homes (presumably in 

 Scandinavia), are annually to be met with on the coasts of 

 East Lothian and Fife certain spots where rotting seaweed 

 or other refuse produces an abundance of insect food being 

 favourite halting-places. Other Wagtails the Yellow or 

 the Pied, or both are frequently in company with them. 

 In August and September they reappear on the return 

 journey, but owing to the number of young birds and the 

 less conspicuous dress of the adults at this season, they are 

 more apt to be overlooked. 



The localities in which I have myself most frequently 

 observed them are in the vicinities of Dunbar and Aberlady, 

 on the coast of East Lothian, where they frequent the 

 margins of muddy or sandy bays and creeks. From a 

 favourite haunt immediately to the south-east of the first- 

 named town, I have a number of specimens, mostly secured 

 in the springs of 1885 and i 886 through Mr. G. Pow. They 

 are in various phases of plumage, including one or two 

 males shot in April, in perfect breeding dress. These, how- 

 ever, are the exception, and the backward state revealed both 

 in the plumage and by dissection of some procured well into 

 May, seems to indicate that those which linger longest with 

 us on their passage north are non-breeding birds. 



As we leave the seaward portion of the area and proceed 

 westwards, we cease to meet with the bird with any regularity. 

 I have, however, occasionally noticed single examples, or at 

 most a pair, as at Loch Ard, in the upper portion of the 

 valley, on April 18, 1896. 



The following is a transcript of the records I find in my 

 note-books : 



