190 



THE YELLOW WAGTAIL. — WHEAT EAR. 



Certainly not from a far distant country, there not being time for a 

 very long journey in the space of a single day ; and, besides, they 

 never seem to be tired or lifeless, but are very brisk and lively, on 

 such occasions. 



THB YELLOW WAGTAIL. 



The Yellow Wagtail is 

 very similar in habits to 

 the more common Pied 

 Wagtail, but the yellow 

 tints of some of its feath- 

 ers, somewhat resembling 

 those of the Yellow 

 Hammer, at once dis- 

 tinguish it. 



TELLOW 'n'AOTAlL 



THE WHEAT-EAR. 



The head and back of the male are of a light gray, tinged with red. 

 Over each eye there is a white line : beneath that is a broad black stroke, 

 which passes across each eye to the hinder part of the head. The 

 rump and lower half of the tail are white : the upper half black. The 

 underside of the body is white, tinged with yellow : on the neck this 

 color inclines to red. The quill-feathers are black, edged with reddish 

 brown. The colors of the female are more dull : this sex wants the 

 black marks across the eyes ; and the bar of white on the tail is narrower 

 *;han that in the male. 



This bird visits England annually in the middle of March, and leaves 

 .n September. The females come first, about a fortnight before the 

 males ; and they continue to come until the middle of May. In some 

 parts of England they are seen in great numbers, and are much esteemed 

 for the table. About Eastbourn, in Sussex, they are caught by means 

 of snares made of horse-hair, placed beneath a long turf. Being very 

 timid birds, the motion even of a cloud, or the appearance of a Hawk, 

 will immediately drive them into the traps. These traps are first set 

 every year on St. James's day, the twenty-fifth of July ; soon after which 

 they are caught in astonishing numbers, considering that they are not 

 gragarious, and that more than two or three are scarcely ever seen flying 

 totrether. The number annually ensnared in the district of Eastbourn 

 alone, is said to amount to nearly two thousand dozen. The birds 

 caught are chiefly young-ones, and they are invariably found in the 

 greatest numbers when an easterly wind prevails ; they always come 

 against the wind. A gentleman informed Mr. Markwick of Cattsfield, 

 ihat his father's shepherd once caught eighty-four dozen of them in a 



