YELLOW WAGTAIL. 



MOTACILLA RAYII. 

 Family Passerid^. Sub-family Motacillin^. Genus Mota- 



CILLA. 



Ray's Wagtail— Cow Bird— Seed Bird— Seed Lady. 



The Yellow Wagtail is a summer visitor to our 

 shores from March to October, and consequently 

 breeds here. It is common in most parts of England 

 and the southern counties of Scotland. Its move- 

 ments and habits are similar to the others of its 

 species, and it has the same graceful and light- 

 running step. It is not, however, such a lover of 

 the water as the Pied and Grey Wagtails, and one 

 may always expect to meet with it in the cultivated 

 pastures and fields where, it is said, it will follow the 

 plough with as much persistency as the Rook. 



They are usually seen in pairs, and are great friends 

 to the cattle, delighting (as do also the Pied Wagtails) 

 to flit about over them and relieve them of many of 

 the troublesome insects which infest them. In addition 

 to insects, grubs and beetles, the Yellow Wagtail 

 feeds upon small worms. 



This bird is occasionally heard to sing. Its song 

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