WHITE WAGTAIL 



Motacilla alba 



Crown of head and nape dark grey or black, upper plumage 

 delicate grey, wings brownish, some of the feathers edged 

 with white ; tail dark-brownish, two outer feathers on each 

 side white ; forehead, most of the cheek and under-parts white, 

 black collar, legs and bill black, eyes brown. Length, 7 inches. 



I HAVE pictured this particular Wagtail as it is 

 perhaps the commonest of all, but there are several 

 other kinds that at certain seasons might dispute 

 the point and run it very close. It is very similar, 

 superficially, to the familiar Pied Wagtail, but is 

 greyer, less positively black and white, and might 

 well be called the Grey rather than the White 

 Wagtail. In the winter months, in Egypt, at 

 whatever part of the country, north or south, you 

 may be, you will see Wagtails of some sort or 

 another busily chasing flies with ever - restless 

 activity, and the numbers that there must be of 

 this most useful bird is past all computation. 

 Wagtails are peculiar in that they are about the 

 smallest birds that really walk and run. All other 



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