YELLOW WAGTAIL. 565 



pastures, fields of sprouting corn, and even dry fallows, 

 where, perched on a clod of earth or a stone, it may be seen 

 flirting and fanning its tail, and exhibiting its bright yellow 

 breast to the greatest advantage. Its appearance at the time 

 of sowing spring-corn always attracts the notice of country- 

 men, and has gained it in many districts the name of Barley- 

 bird or Oatseed-bird. Later in the season it betakes itself 

 rather to the neighbourhood of water, or at least to pastures 

 and grass-lands, which may be regarded as its proper haunts 

 at this period of its life, and here it is as often found on 

 the richest as on the poorest soils*. The nest is placed on 

 the ground, usually sheltered and more or less concealed 

 by herbage, and varies somewhat in structure, being some- 

 times formed of dried bents and fibrous roots, lined with 

 hair, while Mr. Hewitson mentions that of two nests found 

 on the same day and within a few yards of each other, one 

 was composed of green moss and grass, lined with rabbits' 

 down, but the other entirely of grass and lined with fine 

 roots. The eggs are from four to six in number, and are not 

 to be distinguished from those of the Blue-headed Wagtail 

 by size or colour. A second nest is frequently if not gener- 

 ally built as summer advances. 



The young of the first brood are able to fly about the end 

 of May, and betake themselves to the neighbouring pastures. 

 When afterwards joined by their later-hatched brethren all 

 may be seen up to the period of their autumnal departure 

 accompanying their parents in search of food. They are 

 especially fond of attending cattle and sheep while grazing, 



* On the left bank of the Little Ouze, below Thetford, several pairs of this 

 bird used to choose for their breeding-quarters some heathery mounds bordering 

 a stretch of wet meadows, and there associated so as to form, as it were, a little 

 colony, three, four or more nests might be found within the compass of a few 

 yards. This was no doubt originally owing to the spot affording greater security 

 from fioods than any other near, and to it would seem to have resorted the whole 

 population of Yellow Wagtails frequenting a considerable extent of the valley of 

 the river. The mounds are of blown sand, based on a terrace of gravel, which 

 latter, having been largely excavated within the last ten years, has produced 

 many flint-implements of a very ancient type. It is perhaps not too much to 

 suppose that the colony may have first established itself in days not long after 

 the PalDeolithic period. 



