320 BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 



WAGTAIL, PIED. 



Description of Parent Birds. Length about seven 

 and a half inches, several of which are accounted 

 for by the somewhat abnormally long tail. Bill 

 moderately long, nearly straight, slender, and black. 

 Irides dusky. Forehead, sides of head, round the 

 eyes, and a portion of the sides of the neck, white. 

 Latter half of crown, nape, back, and upper tail- 

 coverts black ; wing-coverts black, edged and tipped 

 with white ; quills black, some of them bordered 

 with greyish-white and white ; tail-quills black, 

 except the two outside feathers, which are nearly 

 all white. Chin, throat, sides, and flanks black ; 

 breast, belly, and under-parts white. Legs, toes, and 

 claws black. 



The female is somewhat smaller, and dusky grey 

 on the back, where the male is black. 



Situation and Locality. In ivy, growing against 

 walls and trees, in holes in dry walls, bridges, niches 

 of rock, on ledges, and tufts of grass growing from 

 crevices of rock ; in faggot, hay, and brick stacks, 

 and numerous other situations, generally near fresh 

 water, throughout the British Isles. It has been 

 recorded in such curious situations as a potato top, 

 and under a railway switch. Our illustration is from 

 a photograph of a nest situated inside a reed- 

 thatched Norfolk boat-house. 



Materials. Dry grass, roots, and moss ; some- 

 times a few dead leaves or fern-fronds, with an inner 

 lining of wool, feathers, horsehair, cowhair, and 

 rabbit down. The materials vary both in quantity 

 and character, according to situation. 



Eggs. Four to six, greyish- white, thickly speckled 

 with ash grey or light brown. They vary a good 



