20 THE BIRDS OF CUMBERLAND, 



Family MOTACILLID^. 



Genus MOT AC ILL A. 



M. Alha. White Wagtail. 



The White Wagtail is a casual visitant on spring 

 and autumn migration, but does not appear to have 

 bred with us. It is a slighter bird than the Pied 

 Wagtail, and the gorget upon the breast is much 

 smaller than in the Pied Wagtail. Some female 

 Pied Wagtails have very grey backs in summer, but 

 their gorgets are constantly more extensive than in 

 the White Wagtail. When studying the White 

 Wagtail in Norway and Switzerland, and other 

 parts of the continent, it has always seemed to us 

 that the call-note of the White Wagtail was softer 

 and less incisive than that of the Pied Wagtail. 

 Two White Wagtails were seen on the Irthing, in 

 the spring of 1850, by Mr. W. Dickinson. An adult 

 female was shot at Alston in the autumn of 1866. 

 Mr. F. D. Power had an excellent view of two 

 White Wagtails near Cleator Moor, April 11th, 

 1874. Early in April, 1880, a single bird was ob- 

 served near Hutton John by Mr. Hodgson. We 

 detected a single bird on the Caldew, April 20th, 

 1883, and watched another tripping over the lawn 

 at Pose Castle, April 15th, 1884, and met with a 

 third on Burgh Marsh on September 5th, 1885. 



The White Wagtail was first recorded for Cum- 

 berland by Mr. T. C. Heysham, an example having 

 been shot on the Caldew by Mr. J. Cooper. 



