WAGTAILS. 143 



spring the Yellow Wagtail is at hand, running nimbly up 

 and down the furrows, catching the insects and feeding 

 upon the small worms and beetles. You may see how 

 trustful he approaches when the ploughman rests his 

 horses, as if aware that man looked favourably on his 

 actions ; and when work is again renewed the Wagtail 

 flies in drooping flight for a few yards to the rear, and 

 with a few rapid beats of the tail again commences his 

 insect and worm-hunting labours. I have often ob- 

 served, but cannot say whether the habit is general, that 

 the Yellow Wagtail invariably, or nearly so, utters a 

 short jerking note upon taking wing, and the Pied 

 species only does so occasionally. The Yellow Wag- 

 tail is not of a wandering disposition, and, once in a 

 pasture, is but rarely seen far away throughout the 

 summer. 



The Wagtail pairs annually a little after his arrival 

 in the vernal season, but the nest is not commenced for 

 some considerable time ; indeed, he is one of our latest 

 breeding birds. Unlike the Pied species, the Yellow 

 Wagtail prefers open sites for its nest, at the foot of 

 walls, amongst deep grass, and sometimes down the 

 hedgerow sides. It is made of dry grasses, * twitch,' a 

 little moss, and lined with fine grass and hair. The 

 eggs, four or five in number, are dirty-white, with light 

 and dark brown spots and blotches : some specimens are 

 more highly coloured than others. In the breeding 

 season the Yellow Wagtail is occasionally heard to sing. 

 At times far between is his melody given forth. No 

 morning or evening lay escapes from the Wagtail, and 

 his notes are uttered seemingly in sudden outbursts of 

 gladness. Suddenly, and as it were by resistless im- 

 pulse, he soars from the meadow grass, and, fluttering in 

 the air, warbles a delightful strain and alights, probably 



