Northern Observations of Inland Birds 231 



not wet its feet until the absence of winged insect life 

 in the air necessitates the chilly procedure. 



Among the wagtails which migrate, the old males 

 appear first, generally in March, along the south coast 

 of England. A few days later the females come, together 

 with the males of last season. This being so, and since 

 the same birds return year after year to the same places, 

 the question arises as to whether the mated couples live 

 together while overseas, or whether they live apart at 

 such times, reuniting when the spring calls them back to 

 their breeding haunts here. Such problems are very 

 difficult to solve, and what about the birds which breed 

 here and overseas, yet which are known to separate for 

 the journey ? Do they reunite after such tremendous 

 flights, meeting at some appointed place in the midst of 

 a land so vast that only its most startling features serve 

 as landmarks } It seems hardly possible, and yet, if not, 

 what delicate situations must arise, and how embarrassing 

 might be a slip of the tongue during the most harmless, 

 even caressing, conversation — whispering the same sweet 

 nothings to Annie among the hollyhocks, as he whispered 

 to Jane among the pyramids ! And what if some perverse 

 wind bear Jane and Annie to the point at which Percy 

 is awaiting one, but anything but both } Fortunately 

 such misfortunes are borne light-heartedly in the wild, 

 where, with few exceptions, the young are so much 

 and the mate so little. 



Wagtails are often to be seen running about the lush 

 pasture grass among the cattle, drawn there by the insects 

 disturbed by the animals as they move, and when in hot 

 weather the cattle crowd into the shallow water at the 

 river margin or into some stagnant pool in a corner of 

 the field, a wagtail is generally to be seen darting about 

 in close attendance. 



No wild bird gives one so strong an impression of a 



