THE WAGTAILS AND THE PIPITS. 281 



skylarks. She took a strong liking to these new-comers, 

 which were scarcely younger than herself; she tended them 

 night and day, cherished them beneath her wings, and fed 

 them with her bill. Nothing could interrupt her tender offices. 

 If the young ones were torn from her, she flew to them as 

 soon as she was liberated, and would not think of effecting 

 her own escape, which she might have done a hundred times. 

 Her affection grew upon her; she neglected food and drink; 

 she now required the same support as her adopted offspring, 

 and expired at last consumed with maternal anxiety. None 

 of the young ones survived her. They died one after another; 

 so essential were her cares, which were equally tender and 

 judicious." 



The Lark The Lark when pursued by the Hawk has 

 and the been known to seek refuge under the protection 

 aw ' of man, as the following quoted by Captain Brown 

 from Bell's " Weekly Messenger " will show. " On Wednesday, 

 the 6th of October, 1805, as a gentleman was sitting on the 

 rocks at the end of Collercot's sands, near Tynemouth, North- 

 umberland, dressing himself after bathing, he perceived a 

 hawk in the air, in close pursuit of, and nearly within reach 

 of a lark. To save the little fugitive, he shouted and clapped 

 his hands, when immediately the lark descended, and alighted 

 on his knee, nor did it offer to leave him, when taken into 

 the hand, but seemed confident of that protection, which it 

 found. The hawk sailed about for some time. The gentleman, 

 after taking the lark nearly to Tynemouth, restored it to its 

 former liberty." 

 The Wagtails The Wagtails, of which family the Pied Wag- 



and Pipits, tail is the most familiar, derives its name from 

 its habit of wagging its tail. As Mr. Wood says, "it settles 

 on the ground and wags its tail; it runs a few paces and 

 wags its tail again; pecks an insect, and again its tail vibrates." 

 It frequents sandbanks and the margins of rivers where it 

 finds its food. It is found in England throughout the year, 



