330 INSECTIVOROUS BIRDS. 



all British birds the yellow water- wagtail, is perhaps, the most 

 elegant in form and action. 



Of similar character with the wagtails may be ranked the 

 domestic Hirundines. Of these the swift, swallow, house-martlet, 

 and sand-martlet, are confessedly muscivorous, though not strictly 

 speaking insectivorous, because they never attack the larva of 

 insects but only after they fly ; and, as it is in the caterpillar state 

 the insects are injurious, the hirundines are only indirectly useful. 

 Gnats (Culex pipiensj are their favourite food, and these in no state 

 are hurtful to vegetation, though they are often troublesome 

 to the evening walker who has thin stockings or a delicate skin. 

 The musquitos (Culex bifurcatusj which are such a pest in tropical 

 countries, are also common in this country, especially in marshy 

 places or damp woods. Their bite, or rather a sting of their 

 tongue, is as venomous and inflammatory as it is in any other part 

 of the world. They are not only known by the wounds they 

 inflict, but also by their being twice the size of the common gnat, 

 and having clouded legs, that are of two colours. From these 

 teazing, and sometimes dangerous insects, the hirundines certainly 

 guard us and our dwellings most effectually, and therefore deserve 

 our favour wherever they can find about our houses a " coigne of 

 vantage." 



The next to be mentioned are the common and pied fly-catchers 

 (Muscicapa grisola et atricapilla.) The first is a familiar bird, 

 building on ivied walls of gardens, or tree-covered buildings ; the 

 second is of wilder habits, frequenting craggy steeps at a distance 

 from the habitations of man. They are both summer visitors, 

 and, like the swallows, feed on the wing. 



Another tribe of useful birds is the titmouse (Parus majors 

 coerulius, ater, palustris, caudatus, and biarmicus.J These are all 

 insectivorous, and some of them are carnivorous, as well as fond 

 of a mellow pear or apple. The first has a bad character as being 

 destructive to bees, in hard winters, and also to the flower buds of 

 fruit trees. This charge is partly well founded j but the good they 

 do the orchardist at other times far outweighs their occasional 

 pilferings. 



The creeper, (Certhia familiarUJ is another small insect-eating 

 bird. They frequent woods, and are seen creeping from the 

 bottom to the top of the trunks, prying into every crack and 

 crevice, seeking their food ; which appears to be small spiders and 

 flies. This bird stays with us all the year, is but seldom noticed, 

 and is by no means numerous. The creepers have very much the 

 habits and action of the woodpeckers. 



The chaffinch, (Fringilla ccelehsj and the house-sparrow, (Frin- 

 gilla domesticaj although both seed-eaters, are nevertheless very 

 serviceable during summer, feeding their young on caterpillars, 

 beetles, &c., which they find on the foliage of trees and herbs : 

 and the young of both are fond of the green fly so common on 

 rose trees, hops, and many other plants. 



The goat- sucker (Caprimulgus europceusj is a night-feeding bird j 



