564 



PASSERES. 



MOTACILLID^. 



MOTAGILLID^,. 



MoTACiLLA RAii (Bonaparte*). 



THE YELLOW WAGTAIL. 



Motacilla Eayi. 



The common Yellow Wagtail of the British Islands is a 

 regular summer-visitor to this country, making its appear- 

 ance about the end of March, or the beginning of April, and 

 leaving our southern shores in September almost to a bird. 

 In the rest of its habits it is very like our other common 

 Wagtails, but it is more given to perching on trees or bushes, 

 and seldom or never resorts to the haunts of men or the close 

 proximity of houses and gardens to seek a breeding-place as 

 does the Pied Wagtail, nor is it so constantly an abider by 

 the water-side as the Grey Wagtail. It often frequents 

 arable land, and inhabits fields of beans, pease and tares, in 

 all of which its nest has been found ; it also frequents, 

 especially on its first arrival in this country, downs and sheep- 



Budytes rayi, Bonaparte, Comp. List. B. Eur. and N. Am. p. 18 (1838). 



