M0TACILLID.1>:. 



THE PIED WAGTAIL. 



Motaci'lla i.ugubris, Temrainck 



The Pied Wagtail was first distinguished from the White Wagtail 

 of the Continent by Temminck, who conferred upon it the above 

 scientific name; in ignorance of which, Gould, seventeen years later, 

 called our bird M. yarrelli. Throughout the British Islands it is a 

 common and generally distributed species : visiting the extreme 

 north of Scotland in March and remaining to breed, but migrating 

 southwards, as a rule, on the approach cf winter. It nests, 

 sparingly, in some of the Hebrides and Orkneys ; but in St. Kilda 

 and in the Shetlands it is only known to occur on the spring 

 and autumn migrations. In Ireland it is common and on the whole 

 resident, but is partially migratory as regards the northern districts ; 

 and even in England there is a general movement southward in 

 autumn, and northward in spring. The late Mr. Knox observed 

 large flocks early in September, mainly composed of young of the 

 year, travelling along the coast of Sussex in the direction of Kent, 

 whence the transit to the Continent is shortest ; while from the 

 middle of March nun\erous small parties, consisting of old males 

 (the females being later), have been seen to arrive from the sea where 

 the Channel is wider. 



On the Continent the Pied Wagtail is almost restricted to the 



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