MOTACILLA CAPENSIS. 279 



fate that would be prophesied for the wicked child. "We have 

 often seen the master of the house sitting in his chair in the 

 cool of the evening, and, perhaps, while one bird perched on 

 the rail of his chair, another would jump at the flies on his 

 soil-stained shoes, while two or three more stood pecking at 

 those that plagued the old dog lying at his master's feet. 

 Perhaps one or two would have found their way into the 

 voorhuis, or entrance hall, where a rich harvest awaited them 

 in the bodies of those flies slain by the attendant dark urchins, 

 who, often ignorant of breeches or petticoats, guard their 

 master's viands with a plume of dirty ostrich-feathers or leafy 

 bough torn from the nearest tree. 



" These birds consort much with cattle, and jump up 

 against their sides as they stand lazily chewing the cud, to 

 catch the small flies that keep about them ; they also con- 

 gregate in considerable number on the sea-beach, to feed on 

 the flies bred in the putrefying sea- weed ; they run along the 

 sand with great agility, or walk with a stately, swaggering 

 gait, which is very amusing. They also congregate in flocks 

 upon favourite trees for the purpose of roosting ; and this 

 may chiefly be observed in towns. 



" The nest is generally constructed in a bank if in the 

 fields ; but when in the town they select a hole in the wall, 

 or a dense mass of leaves in some plants creeping up the wall 

 or tree. The nest is composed of leaves, small roots, and 

 horse-hair, with which the structure is lined. The eggs are 

 four or five in number, greyish white, minutely freckled with 

 brown, chiefly at the obtuse end." With regard to these 

 Wagtails in Natal Messrs. Butler, Feilden and Reid write : 

 " Everywhere abundant inland but not so numerous, appar- 

 ently, in the neighbourhood of the coast. A graceful, lively 

 bird, with an extremely pretty little song, not often heard. 

 Nests were found in September, October and November, built 



