PIED WAGTAIL.— MolaciUa YarreJlii. 



peering between every grass-blade in search of the insects which may be lying concealed 

 in their green shelter. The flight of the Pied AVagtail is short and jerking, the bird rising 

 and falling in a very peculiar manner with every shake of the wings. 



Several Wagtails which used to frequent our garden were fond of meat, and, together 

 with the blue titmice, would often assault, or rather pretend to assaidt the tame sparrow- 

 hawk, and cruelly steal his dinner before his eyes. Indeed, the Wagtails seemed to be 

 quite the rulers over that unfortunate hawk, and led him a sad life. 



The Pied Wagtail remains in England throughout the year, but generally retires to the 

 southern counties during the winter, as it woiild otherwise be unable to obtain its food. 

 Sometimes, however, where the springs are so copious that the water never entirely freezes, 

 the Wagtail may be seen haunting its accustomed spot, and drawing a subsistence from 

 the unfrozen waters. The more northern coasts are a favourite resort of the Wagtails, 

 which run briskly along the edge of the advancing or receding tide, picking up any stray 

 provender that may come within their reach. 



The song of the Pied Wagtail is soft, low, and sweet, and is generally uttered in the 

 early morning from the elevation of some lofty spot, such as the summit of a pointed 

 rock, the roof of an outhouse, or the top of a paling. The bird is bold and familiar, 

 coming quite close to human beings without displaying any fear, and even following the 

 ploughman for the purpose of picking up the grubs and insects that are turned out of the 

 soil by the share. 



The nest of the Wagtail is generally placed at no great distance from water, and 

 is always built in some retired situation. Holes in walls, the hollows of aged trees, or 

 niches in old gravel-pits are favourite localities with this bird. Heaps of large stones are 

 also in great favoiu- with the Wagtail, and I have generally found that wherever a pile of 

 rough stones has remained for some time in the vicinity of water, a Wagtail's nest is 

 almost in\'ariably somewhere within it. I have also found the nest in heaps of dry 

 brushwood piled up for the purpose of being cut into faggots. In every case the nest is 

 placed at a considerable depth, and no small amount of care and ingenuity is needed 

 to extract the eggs without damaging them. The eggs are generally four or five in 

 number, and their colour is grey-white speckled with a great numljer of very small 

 brown spots. 



The colouring of the Pied Wagtail is almost entirely black and white, very boldly 

 disposed and distributed as foUows : The top of the head, the nape of the neck, part of 

 the shoulders, the chin, neck, and throat, are jetty black, contrasting boldly with the pure 



