262 EGGS OF BRITISH BIRDS 



THE BLUE-HEADED WAGTAIL. 



{Motacilla flava.) 



Plate 58a, Fig. 2. 



The Blue-headed Wagtail is chiefly known as an accidental 

 straggler on migration to our islands, but nests of this species 

 have been found near Gateshead, and doubtless it has bred in 

 several other localities. The Blue-headed Wagtail, subject to 

 some local variation, has by far the largest area of geographical 

 distribution of any species of the genus, extending from the 

 British Islands across Europe and Asia to Alaska. It is a rather 

 late breeder, and its eggs are seldom laid before the middle or 

 latter end of May, often not until the beginning of June, so that 

 probably one brood only is reared in a season. 



The nest is built on the ground, and is generally well concealed 

 amongst rank herbage. A bank is a favourite situation, beneath 

 a tuft of grass or amongst the gnarled and half-exposed roots of 

 trees standing in open fields. The nest is made of dry grass, 

 rootlets, and scraps of moss, and lined with fine bents, hair, and 

 sometimes a little wool, and more rarely a few feathers. 



The eggs are from five to six in number, yellowish-white or 

 pale bluish-white in ground-colour, mottled, spotted, freckled, and 

 clouded with pale brown, and sometimes streaked on the larger 

 end with rich blackish-brown. They vary in length from 0'83 to 

 0'73 inch, and in breadth from 0'59 to 0'53 inch. Many of the 

 eggs of this bird are absolutely indistinguishable from those of 

 the Yellow Wagtail and the Grey Wagtail. 



THE YELLOW WAGTAIL. 



{Motacilla rail.)* 



Plate 58a, Fig. 3. 



The Yellow Wagtail is a summer visitor to the British Islands. 

 On the Continent of Europe it breeds in the north of France, 

 passes through the south of France, Spain, and Portugal on 

 migration, and occasionally strays into North-west Italy, in all of 



* Motacilla campestris — Sharpe, Handb., I., p. 99. 



