66 THE RIVER-SIDE NATURALIST. 



snipe Scolopax gallinago). It has many other provincial 

 names, as Weet-weet, from its call-note, or Willywicket, 

 Sand- Lark, Sand-Snipe, from its liking to sandy shores, 

 and Fiddler in some parts of Scotland. About Shrewsbury 

 it is called the Shad-Bird, as it came with the shads, which 

 formerly, before the obstruction of the weirs on the Severn, 

 came up as far as this city. Dresser (" Birds of Europe ") 

 says it is a wary bird. We have not found it so, often- 

 times getting very close to it before taking wing. The 

 white breast makes it very distinguishable as it runs from 

 stone to stone. Look through your glasses and you will 

 find he has a light brown back and head, with a white 

 streak over the eye; legs dark-blue slaty colour; breast 

 and under-parts white ; hence the specific name, Hypoleucos. 

 The bird is very active and lively, and when on the 

 ground is in constant motion. When on the wing the flight 

 is peculiar very rapid, with quick, jerky, but regular beats 

 of the wings, at the same time uttering its call-note, Weet- 

 weet. It breeds chiefly in the north of England and in 

 Scotland,' occasionally in Sussex and Devon, but the birds 

 we see in the south are those on their migration. Yarrell 

 and others state that this bird can swim and dive well, 

 although its feet are not adapted to that purpose. 



THE WATER -WAGTAIL. 



One of our most pleasant and cheery companions of the 

 water-side, as he passes with his drooping flight and sharply- 

 uttered call-note, Chiz-zit, chiz-ztt t is the WATER- WAGTAIL, or 

 PIED WAGTAIL (Motacilla Yaretti); family, Motacillidce. It 

 is known amongst the country people as the Dishwasher. 

 This name, Johns (" British Birds and their Haunts ") says, 

 "comes from the fanciful similarity between beating the 

 water with its tail as it runs over the water-lilies and the 

 beating of the water by washerwomen,"- a very far-fetched 

 similarity indeed. It is, however, in some parts of France 

 called Lavandiere. 



There are four British species of wagtails to be found 



