112 THE GREY WAGTAIL. 



It returns in March and April,^ and, shortly afterwards, 

 commences to build its nest, which, although usually placed 

 in an old wall, or the bank of a stream, is sometimes found 

 at a little distance from water. As an instance of this I 

 may mention that, in June 1883, Mr. Clapham, Broom- 

 house, near Duns, showed me a nest of this bird in a bed 

 of sweet violets growing in a cold frame in the garden 

 there. The nest is usually constructed of dry grass, roots, 

 and moss, lined with hair, wool, or feathers ; and the eggs, 

 which are four or five in number, are greyish white, spotted 

 all over with greyish brown. 



Mr. George Bolam has informed me that he saw a 

 Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla raii) at the side of the Whit- 

 adder below Clarabad Mill, on the 5th of May 1882. It was 

 feeding on the grass haughland amongst some sheep, and 

 was very shy and restless. No specimen of this Wagtail 

 has, however, as yet (March 1888) been obtained in Berwick- 

 shire for identification. It appears to have been frequently 

 observed about Dunbar in spring of late years.^ The 

 Yellow Wagtail (M. raii) may be easily distinguished from 

 the Grey Wagtail {M. sulphurea) by the former bird being 

 much shorter than the latter. The average length of the 

 Grey Wagtail is 7| inches, while the length of the Yellow 

 Wagtail is 6| inches. 



1 Mr. Hardy, Oldcambiis, records its arrival there 21st March \d:li.—Hist. 

 Ber. Nat. Club, vol. vii. p. 278. 3rd April 1S76.— Ibid. vol. viii. p. 152. 4th 

 April 1S79.— Ibid. vol. ix. p. 129. 1st March lS82.-Ibid. vol. x. p. 55(3. Dr. 

 Stuart, Chirnside, mentions seeing one at Allanton Bridge, on the Whitadder, 

 24th March 188i.— Ibid. vol. x. p. 576. 



2 Hist. Ber. Nat. Chib, vol. xi. p. 544. 



