222 The Field Naturalist's Quarterly August 



often flies at great heights, and associating in small flocks 

 delights to wheel around tall buildings uttering its shrill 

 scream, " squee-squee, squee-squee." None of the swallows 

 does this. 



The Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa grisold). When 

 spring is well advanced we may look for this little bird 

 wherever there are large trees, in town or country. This is 

 another of those little brown birds of the sparrow size which 

 seems to be the most successful in the bird world. In this 

 case, however, the brown colour of the head and the dull 

 white under parts are relieved by streaks of a darker colour, 

 which gives the birds a somewhat spotted appearance when 

 closely observed. But the bird's habits, and not the colour, 

 will first attract our attention. Leaving its perch — the park 

 railings or a tree-branch — it flits out over the road or field, 

 dodges round in the air, catches a fly, and goes back again 

 to the same or another perch. And by this regular and 

 almost unique habit we know this familiar bird. 



The Pied Wagtail (Motacilla lugubris) is a little black 

 and white bird with a long tail, and here again habitat helps 

 us to identify. By ponds and streams, in roads or fields, or 

 in farmyards amongst the cattle, this little bird runs about, 

 instead of hopping. His movements are very lively, as with 

 constantly vibrating long tail he darts about after flies, or 

 runs after them on the ground and everywhere. He is 

 easily distinguished from all other common British birds. 



The Grey Wagtail (M. melanope) is even more beautiful 

 than the last, and its habits are almost similar, but to call 

 it grey is misleading, for it is only the upper parts of the 

 bird which are this colour. The chin and throat are black, 

 the breast and belly bright yellow, and the yellow parts are 

 most conspicuous in flight. The bird is thus a yellow 

 wagtail to the casual observer. But this is not a common 

 species, except by mountain streams in the north and west, 

 where it delights to dwell by the side of rapid running 

 streams. All the wagtails, but especially the last two, are 

 easily identified on the wing by their habit of flying in a 

 succession of jerks, calling as they fly, " chissicfc, chisi7Vv6 " 

 (with the stress on the last syllable). 



The Yellow Wagtail (M. rait), which in habits is more 



