THE WAGTAILS. 9 I 



according to Mr. Seebohm. In the Me literranean countries 

 it is chiefly known as a winter visitor. 



Habits.— As its name implies, this species is a more wood- 

 land bird than the other British Larks, and in many of its ways 

 of life it resembles the Tree Pipit, frequenting the neighbour- 

 hood of woods and plantations, but always affecting trees. On 

 these it loves to sit, and from them it takes flights into the air, 

 singing all the while. Its note is considered superior to that 

 of the Sky-Lark, but like that bird it often sings when on the 

 ground, on which it is thoroughly at home, and on which it 

 roosts. 



Nest. — Placed on the ground, and skilfully concealed under a 

 tuft of herbage or a small bush. It resembles the nest of the 

 Sky-Lark, but is rather more firmly put together. It is com- 

 posed of dry grass and fine rootlets, and is lined with finer 

 grass with a little hair. 



Eggs. — Four or five in number. Pale in colour for those of 

 a Lark, though darker examples are not wanting in a large 

 series ; often very rounded in shape. Ground-colour white or 

 reddish-white, numerously dotted with fine spots, reddish- 

 brown, with indistinct underlying spots of grey. In some 

 specimens the spots are clouded at the larger end, and form a 

 ring. Axis, o"S-o*9 inch; diam., 0-6-075. 



THE WAGTAILS AND PIPITS. FAMILY 

 MOTACILLIDiE. 



In this family are included the Wagtails and Pipits, birds 

 which are intermediate in character between the Larks and 

 the Warblers. They have a single-plated tarsus like the latter 

 birds, but they have the same shaped wings as the Larks, the 

 inner secondaries being about as long as the primary-quills. 

 Like the Larks, too, they run on the ground, do not hop, and 

 the nesting habits, especially those of the Pipits, are very similar 

 to those of the Larks, even to the colouring of the eggs. 



Wagtails are found in every part of the Old World, excepting 

 Australia and Oceania. One species, M. flava^ even extends 

 to Alaska. They breed, as a rule, in the northern portions of 



