GREY AND PIED WAGTAILS 



109 



Wang- 



WAGTAIL, GREY {Motacilla melanope) 



Local Names. — Cow Bird, Dun Wagtail, Grey Wagster, 

 tail, Water Wagtail, Winter Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail. 



Haunt. — Streams and 

 their vicinity. 



Nesting Period. — April to 

 June. 



Site of Nest. — Under an over- 

 hanging bank, shelves of 

 rocks, etc. 



Materials Used. — Moss, bents, 

 and roots, lined with hair. 



Eggs. — Five or Six. Pale grey, 

 clouded with faint creamy- 

 brown. 



Food. — Insects. 



Voice. — A shrill "tiz-it, tiz-it," 



and a sweet, liquid song in early Spring and Autumn. 



Chief Features. — Represents the first of an elegant family. Not by 

 any means common, but resorts to same haunt year after year. 

 May be confused with Yellow Wagtail, but not nearly so bril- 

 liantly coloured (see Plumage). 



Plumage. — Summer, bluish-grey head and back; pale streak over 

 eye; black throat; bright yellow underneath. Winter, whitish- 

 yellow chin and throat. Length. — Seven inches and a half. 



Fig. 41. Grey Wagtail. 



WAGTAIL, PIED (Motacilla lugnbris) 



Local Names.— Black and White Wagtail, Dish Washer, Nanny 

 W T agtail, Nanny Washtail, Peggy Wash Dish, Peggy Wash 

 Disher, Penny Wag- 

 tail, Quaketail, Wang- 

 tail, Wash Dish, Washer 

 Disher, Washerwoman, 

 Water Wagtail, White 

 Wagtail, Willie Wag- 

 tail, Winter Wagtail. 



Haunt. — Meadows, stream- 

 sides, gardens, etc. 



Nesting Period. — April on- 

 wards. 



Site of Nest. — In banks, 

 piles of wood, holes and 

 crevices in walls, and quarries, also eaves of haystacks, etc. 



Fig. 42. Pied Wagtail. 



