MOTACILLIDyE. 85 



of a park-keeper's house on the banks of the Thames. 

 The female, while sitting on her eggs, never shewed 

 the least fear when the keeper's children looked in 

 at her, or even put their hands close to the nest ; nor 

 did their boisterous laughter and noisy voices alarm 

 the bird at all, though they were accustomed to 

 trample about in the grass within a yard of the nest 

 at all times of the day. 



Chiff Chaff {Sylvia hippolais). This small War- 

 bler is the first of the summer visitors to reach us, 

 with the exception of the Wheatear. Its sprightly 

 form may be seen, and its pleasing song heard in 

 the yet leafless hedges, before March is over ; small 

 numbers usually arrive about the 20th of that month. 



The nest is generally placed on the ground, but in 

 the summer of 1867 I found one built three or four 

 feet from the ground, among the ivy which grows in 

 clusters over the Albert Bridge, in Windsor Home 

 Park. This species leaves early in October. 



Family — MOTACILLID^. 



Ray's Wagtail {Motacilla Jlava). Provincial 

 names. Yellow Wagtail^ Yellozv Dish-zvasher. The 

 Yellow Wagtail was first discovered by John Ray, 

 and Mr. Yarrell named it after him in order to dis- 

 tinguish it from the four species of Yellow Wagtails 

 which are indigenous to Europe. 



It reaches us early in April, and departs in Sep- 



