MOTACILLID.E. 



127 



THE BLUE-HEADED WAGTAIL. 

 MoTACiLLA FLAVA, Liiinseus. 



In 1832 it was pointed out by Gould that the Blue-headed Wag- 

 tail of the Continent was distinct from the Yellow Wagtail, which is 

 a regular visitor to our islands ; two years later Doubleday shot an 

 example of the former at Walton-on-the-Naze ; and since that date 

 a considerable number have been obtained or observed, mostly in 

 the south-western, southern, and eastern counties of England ; while 

 the bird nested on several occasions near Gateshead, Durham 

 (Hancock); and Mr. Haigh shot one in Merionethshire on April 22nd 

 1897. As a rule, however, the Blue-headed Wagtail can hardly 

 be considered as more than an irregular visitor on migration ; 

 generally in spring, but not unfrequently in autumn. In Scotland it 

 has been shot near Edinburgh and Dunbar, as well as on the 

 Pentland Skerries, south of the Orkneys ; while Saxby states that he 

 obtained it on the autumn migration in Shetland. 



The Blue-headed Wagtail has wandered to the Faeroes ; and I 

 have examined a specimen in the British Museum obtained by 

 Gould in summer as far north in Norway as the Dovrefjeld. 

 Southward, it is found throughout Europe ; breeding in the west 

 down to the shores of the Mediterranean, where it is partially 

 resident, and pushing its migrations in winter to the south of Africa. 

 Eastward, it is found across Asia to the Pacific ; and also in Alaska, 

 where it breeds up to 64° N. lat. This Wagtail runs to varieties 

 which are, in the opinion of some ornithologists, entitled to take 

 rank as species ; but upon this iniricate question I must refer my 



