MOTACILLID^. 



121 





THE PIED WAGTAIL. 



MoTACiLLA LUGUBRis, Temminck. 



The Pied Wagtail was first distinguished from the White Wagtail 

 of the Continent by Temminck, who conferred upon it, in 1820, the 

 above scientific name ; in ignorance of which, Gould, seventeen years 

 later, called our bird M. yarrelli. Throughout the British Islands 

 this is a common and generally distributed species ; visiting the 

 extreme north of Scotland in March and remaining to breed, but 

 migrating southwards, as a rule, on the approach of winter. It 

 nests, sparingly, in some of the Hebrides, and from the Orkneys it is 

 now never absent, but in St. Kilda, as also in the Shetlands, it is only 

 known to occur on the spring and autumn migrations. In Ireland 

 it is common and, on the whole, resident, though partially migratory 

 as regards the northern districts ; while even in England, though 

 always present, there is a general movement southward in autumn, and 

 northward in spring. The late Mr. A. E. Knox observed large flocks, 

 mainly composed of young of the year, early in September, travelling 

 along the coast of Sussex in the direction of Kent, whence the transit 

 to the Continent is shortest ; while from the middle of March numer- 

 ous small parties, consisting of old males (the females being later), 

 have been seen to arrive from the sea where the Channel is wider. 



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