iMOTACILI.ID.E. 



117 



THE GREY WAGTAIL. 



MOTACILLA MELAN(')PE, PallaS. 



This beautiful species, easily recognizable by its yellow tints and 

 exceptionally long tail, is resident or partially migratory throughout 

 those portions of the British Islands where rapid streams are found 

 in the vicinity of mountains, or even hills ; but to the flat country 

 and the sea-coast it is only a visitor on migration and in winter. It 

 breeds regularly in Devon, Somerset, Dorset and ^\'ilts ; sparingly 

 in Hampshire, Sussex and Kent ; and, as an exception, it has been 

 known to nest once at Chenies in Buckinghamshire, according to 

 Gould. In Wales and the neighbouring counties, and along the 

 Pennine range on both sides, it is common, increasing in numbers 

 to the northward; while in Scotland it is generally distributed, 

 although not very abundant in Sutherland and Caithness. It 

 breeds sparingly in Skye, and is a visitor to the Orkneys and the 

 Shetlands. In Ireland, according to Mr. More, it is resident in 

 small numbers, but local. 



On the Continent the Grey Wagtail barely reaches the extreme 

 south of Sweden, and is very rare in Northern Germany, while in 

 Russia it is hardly found beyond the latitude of Moscow ; but 

 in the mountainous and even rolling ground of the central and 

 southern parts of Europe it is fairly common ; breeding as far south 

 as the basin of the Mediterranean, where it is a resident, as it is 

 also in the Canaries, Madeira and the Azores. Eastward, it is found 



