ADDITIONS SINCE 1899. Ill 



WHITE WAGTAIL Motacilla alba L. S. page 123. 



Much has been added to our knowledge of the White 

 Wagtail as a bird of passage since 1899. The " Third Interim 

 Report " (1900), of the B.A. Migration Committee contains a 

 valuable summary of its passage up our coasts in spring en 

 rotite for Scandinavia and Iceland, and back again in autumn. 



In spring it passes up the west coast in considerable numbers 

 from Cornwall, Devon, and Somerset, along the Welsh coast 

 to the Sol way and Clyde areas ; throusfh the Isle of Man ; 

 through the Hebrides (Mull, Barra, Monach, Lewis, Tiree, 

 Coll, Flannans), and through Fair Isle and Shetlands (cf. B.A. 

 Report, vide supra ; ZooL, 1902, p. 464, 1904, p. 86, 1905, pp. 

 226, 381, and 430 ; Ann. Scot. Nat. Hid., 1905, p. 181, 1907, 

 pp. 19 and 137 ; Bull. B.O.C., Vol. XVIL, p. 124, \^ol. XX., p. 

 lOl ; Birds of the Isle of Man, p. 41). In Ireland it is now known 

 to pass regularly in the spring .through Connaught and co. 

 Donegal, and has been taken in the Arau Isle, co. Gralway 

 (R. J. Ussher in lift. ; cf. also Irish JV., 1902, p. 160). 



The return movement in autumn has not been so well 

 recorded. It has been noted with some regularity in Shetland 

 and Orkney, and was one of the commonest migrants in Fair 

 Isle in September, 1905 and 1906. In Barra and Tiree it occurs 

 with great regularity from the middle of August to mid- 

 September, and it has been noted fairly regularly in the Flannan 

 Isles and Argyllshire. It also occurs on the north Somerset 

 coast, and is not an uncommon visitor to Scilly, but elsewhere 

 the autumn records are exceedingly scanty and irregular {cf. B.A. 

 Third Interim Report ; Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1901, pp. 5-12 and 

 76, 1902, p. 77, 1903, p. 144, 1904, p. 147, 1905, p. 206, 1906, 

 pp. 19 and 145, 1907, pp. 25, 72. and 137 ; Zool, 1902, p. 464, 



1904, p. 86, 1905, pp. 226 and 430, 1906, p. 217). 



On the east side of England, Scotland, and Ireland it is 

 comparatively seldom noted. Indeed, on the east of Ireland 

 there are only two records, one on May 21st, 1902, in co. Antrim, 

 and one on September 4th, 1903, in co. Dublin, the only autumn 

 Irish record (Irish N, 1902, p. 221, and 1903, p. 300). 

 Similarly there have been very few recorded in the south-eastern 

 quarter of England, e.g., Sussex, one seen May, 1902 ; one seen 

 April 2nd, 1905 (M. J. Nicoll) ; May 9th, 1905 ; Essex, April 6th 

 and I5th, 1906 ; Berkshire, May 8th and June 9th, 1906 ; Oxford, 

 May21st,1904; Cambridge, April 25th, 1906; Surrey, April 17th, 



1905, Mav 6th and 20th, July 3rd and September 2nd, 1906 (Bull. 

 B.O.G., Vol. XVIL, p. 124, and XX., p. 101 ; Zoo/.,1905, p. 187 ; 



1906, pp. 434, 445 ; 1907, p. 101). In Norfolk and Yorkshire it 

 has been noted more often, especially in the spring. In East 

 Lothian and Fife Mr. W. Evans noted it as a regular bird of 

 passage in spring and autumn (Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1901, 



