THE WAGTAILS. 95 



untiring, running about with the greatest swiftness on the lawn 

 or pasture, or chasing them by the river's bank. 



Nest. — Placed in the hole of a bank or building, among roots 

 of trees or even in the stems of an old ivy-tree, growing against 

 a wall. The nest is a very rough structure outside, made of 

 grass, roots, and moss, but neatly lined with hair, wool, and some 

 feathers. 



Eggs. — Four to six in number. Ground-colour bluish-white 

 or stone-grey, numerously spotted all over with minute dots of 

 purplish-brown, sometimes collecting near the larger end, but 

 generally scattered over the egg. The underlying marks are 

 purplish-grey, very inconspicuous as a rule, but occasionally 

 causing a blotch. On one specimen in the British Museum 

 the underlying markings are very distinct, and form irregular 

 blotches of a light-brown colour, with streaks and hair-lines of 

 blackish brown. Axis, 075-0-9 inch; diam., o*6. 



II. THE WHITE WAGTAIL. MOTACILLA ALBA. 



Motacilla alba, Linn., S. N., i., p. 331 (1766) ; Macg., Br. B., 

 ii„ p. 221 (1839); Newt. ed. Yarr., i., p. 548(1874); 

 Dresser, B. Eur., hi., p. 233, pi. 125 (1875); B. O. U. 

 List Br. B., p. 29 (1883) ; Seeb., Br. B., ii., p. 199 (1884) ; 

 Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus., x., p. 464 (1885); Lilford, 

 Col. Fig. Br. B., pt. viii. (1888); Saunders, Man., p. 115 

 (1889). 



Adult Male in Breeding Plumage.— Grey, not black, above; throat 

 and fore-neck black ; ear-coverts white ; wing-coverts edged 

 with white, with black bases ; head and nape black ; forehead 

 white ; under surface of body white, the sides light ashy-grey ; 

 bill and feet black; iris light brown. Total length, 67 inches; 

 culmen, 0*5 ; wing, 3-35 ; tail, 3-35 ; tarsus, 0-85. 



Adult Female. — Similar to the male, but the black on the 

 crown generally not so strongly marked, being mixed with 

 ashy. Tolal length, 6*8 inches ; wing, 3*3. 



Adults in Winter Plumage. — Distinguished by the white throat, 

 followed by a crescentic band of black on the fore-neck ; the 

 back grey, with a while forehead, followed by a black patch on 

 the crown. 



