THE YELLOW WAGTAIL 
after the plough, standing for a moment on some clod of 
earth, and all the time vigorously beating its long tail up 
and down in the usual Wagtail-like way. F locks of this 
Wagtail reach our shores in March, and for some little time 
after their arrival continue together, ultimately distri- 
buting in pairs over the usual summer haunts. In the 
autumn similar habits are noticed, and during September 
and October the journey south is made in companies. 
The habits of this species are very similar to those of allied 
forms. ‘The bird is mostly terrestrial, seldom perching 
in trees, but occasionally soaring in a Pipit-like way to 
utter a short, twittering song. It moves from place to 
place in the same dipping flight as its congeners, accom- 
panying it with a series of shrill chiz-zits, is by no means 
shy, and is very partial to running about the pastures 
where cattle are feeding to prey upon the many flies 
that assemble near them. ‘The food of this species is 
chiefly composed of insects and larve and small worms. 
It may rear two broods in the season, the first in April, 
the second in June. It pairs soon after arrival, and makes 
its nest on the ground, well concealed amongst herbage 
or under a stone or clod of earth. ‘The outer materials 
are chiefly dry grass, roots, and moss, the lining of hair, 
fur, and feathers. ‘The five or six eggs are greyish white, 
mottled and speckled with various shades of olive, and 
occasionally streaked with dark brown. ‘The young are 
tended after they leave the nest, and the broods join into 
larger companies as the autumn approaches. I ought 
to add that the Yellow Wagtail is to some extent a winter 
resident in this country. 
The adult male Yellow Wagtail in breeding plumage 
has the general colour of the upper parts yellowish green, 
and the under parts, including a stripe over the eye, are 
bright yellow. The wings and tail are similar to those of 
allied species. Bill black; tarsi and toes black; irides 
brown. Length about 6} inches. ‘The female closely 
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