216 BUDYTES RAYI.^ 



In so far as I have observed, there is nothing in the habits 

 of this species diifering from those of the Wagtails properly so 

 called, excepting its being more addicted to searching for in- 

 sects upon plants. For some time after its arrival in the end 

 of spring, it keeps in the pastures and ploughed fields, where it 

 runs about with great celerity, vibrating its body, and at in- 

 tervals expanding its tail, as it searches for insects, after 

 which it now and then makes short excursions on wing. I 

 have not met with it in the northern parts of Scotland ; but 

 about Edinburgh it is not very rare during the summer. In 

 England, according to authors it is pretty generally distributed. 

 Montagu states that it arrives there about the time when the 

 Pied Wagtail takes its departure for the north. In Scotland 

 it disappears about the middle of August, and in the south of 

 England towards the end of September. It is a very remark- 

 able circumstance that this species has hitherto been very seldom 

 observed on any part of the continent ; and that although de- 

 scribed by Willughby, Ray, Montagu, Mr Selby, and others, 

 under the name of Motacilla flava, the Yellow Wagtail, it was 

 considered as identical with the INIotacilla flava of Linna:?us, 

 Temminck, and other continental authors, which however they 

 have characterized as having the head grey or ash-coloured, 

 until JNIr Gould recently pointed out the differences between it 

 and the other species. 



According to Montagu, " It frequents arable land, especially 

 in the more champaign parts, sometimes uncultivated ground 

 interspersed with furze ; is also partial to bean fields : in all 

 such places it breeds, and does not seem to regard water so 

 much as either the other species. The nest is always placed 

 on the ground, composed of dried stalks and fibres, lined with 

 hair. The eggs are four or five in number, not very unlike 

 those of the Sedge Warbler, of a pale brown, sprinkled all 

 over with a darker shade, in some very obscurely, weighing 

 about twenty-seven grains." 



Young. — The young when just fledged have the bill and feet 

 light brown, the irides dusky ; the upper parts light yellowish- 

 brown ; the quills and wing-coverts blackish-brown, edged and 



