346 THE PIED WAGTAIL. 



well as in a hole in an old rotten hulk at the harbour ; even a 

 human skull has been utilised for this purpose, as seen in the 

 British Museum. The outside is composed of roots, dried 

 grass, leaves and moss, lined with hair of all kinds, and some 

 wool. The eggs five, sometimes six, greyish-white, freckled 

 with darker grey, like the common sparrow's. On May 13th, 

 1884, I got one with six eggs a foot down a hole in a broken 

 stanchion of the rotten hulk of the old sloop "Janet" (which 

 carried the best stones of the Cathedral and our old Cross up 

 the Firth of Forth to Portobello 150 years ago), now lying near 

 the Shore Bridge. On May 12th, 1858, I got one with four 

 fresh eggs six feet from the ground, resting on the outer edge 

 of a cavity between the stones of that old vaulted building near 

 the square tower ; it was built with roots, moss, and some sea- 

 weed, thread, worsted, and a few hairs ; under the hair was a 

 profuse supply of rabbits' fur, and the tip of a lady's boa. It 

 was 4-|- inches diameter, and only 2 h by \h inches deep inside 

 — a strong, neat nest. Some of the roots were an eighth of an 

 inch thick and seven inches long bent in it. On June 18th, 

 1858, when taking a walk near Kinkell Cave with my live 

 dogs, one of the cockers and a terrier commenced yelping at a 

 stunted bush on the rock ; out scrambled three young wagtails 

 — one flew down into the sea, both of the old birds flew after 

 it, screaming with excitement, and actually tried to lift it out or 

 drag it ashore. It was pitiful to see their efforts, and hear 

 their wailing cries. I had no idea they had so much sense as to 

 try and lift it or haul it ashore, using their wings as well as 

 their feet and bills, and would have succeeded but for one of the 

 terriers, which swam and brought it out. It was nearly dead — 

 the dog being rougher than the birds. I put it beside the two 

 which had remained in the nest ; for years afterwards that 

 stunted bush had a strange attraction for the dogs. I could 

 never take that cocker out with me for a long walk in nesting 

 time after this, for she gobbled up all the young birds she came 

 across. On June 4th, 1889, I saw flown young wagtails 

 catching flies for themselves. They have two or three broods 

 in the year. Like several birds, the pied wagtail has a spring 

 and an autumn dress. In winter the throat is white ; in 

 summer it is black ; which caused a confusion of species, 

 several authors confounding this wagtail with the grey and 

 white, till Mr Gould and Mr Yarrel defined them, and 

 established a separate species, called after Mr Yarrel, Yarrelli. 

 It seems to be confined to the British Isles aud Scandinavia. 



