44 BIKDS OF LANCASHIRE. 



below the town by Mr. James Cooper. He saw a pair 

 in 1880, in tiie breeding-season, above Button, higher 

 up the Eibble valley. [Mr. R. J. Howard says that he 

 meets with a few every spring on Tarleton Moss. — Ed.] 

 I have carefully observed the White Wagtail in Norway 

 and Holland, but can find no difference from the Pied 

 Wagtail either in habits, mode of nidification, colour of 

 egg, or song ; but the plumages are very distinct, the 

 back of the latter being in summer black, whilst that of 

 the former is ashy-grey, and the Pied Wagtail is also 

 considerably darker at all other seasons of the year. 



PIED WAGTAIL. 



MoTAciLLA LUGUBRis, Temminck. 



Local Names — Watcy-Wafitail, Willie Wcuitail. 



Piesident and common, breeding everywhere ; its 

 numbers in winter being greatly reduced by migration, 

 though there are few districts where a pair or two may 

 not be seen the year round. It collects in considerable 

 numbers, with the Yellow Wagtail, in spring and autumn, 

 in bushes overhanging ponds, and in the month of Sep- 

 tember many hundreds are sometimes seen flocking 

 together in the evening, probably for migration purposes, 

 as the majority appear to be birds of the year. It is not 

 uncommon on the sand-hills of the coast, and here Mr. 

 H. Durnford {ZooL, July, 1873) says it generally nests 

 close to one of the numerous pools under the shelter of 

 some overhanging tuft of grass. It is double-brooded, 

 and lays the first clutch of from four to six eggs the end 

 of April or beginning of May. 



