WAGTAILS J 5 



beneath a stone on a rocky hillside ; it was cup-shaped, 

 lined with fine fibre and hair, and contained three eggs, each 

 of a greenish-white ground colour, spotted and blotched with 



Fig. 6. — Rock Bunting. 



purplish-brown and lavender. This species is redder in 

 tone and has a darker head than the Cape Bunting. It is 

 also smaller. Length, 5| inches; wing. 3 inches. 



WAGTAILS 



The next family takes us to our confiding little friends the 

 Wagtails (Motacilla), locally called " Quickies " or " Quick- 

 stertjes," of which South Africa possesses seven species. 



Taking them in order of classification, we have first the 

 African Pied Wagtail (M. vidua), which is easily recognisable 

 anywhere by its jet black and pure white plumage. It is 

 distributed over the greater part of Africa, south of the 

 great desert, extending northwards into Egypt and Palestine. 

 Its eggs are larger than those of the Cape Wagtail. 



The Grey-backed Wagtail (M. longicauda) is blue-grey 

 above, the wing-feathers are black and white and the under- 

 pays white with a black band on the lower throat. The 

 tail is rather longer than that of any of the other species, 



