WAGTAILS 11 



near Grahamstown, and several clutches in the Orange 

 Kiver Colony. In each case the nest was placed in a 

 hollow in the ground beneath a stone on a rocky hillside ; 

 it was cup-shaped, lined with fine fibre and hair, and 

 contained three eggs, each of a greenish-white ground 

 colour, spotted and blotched with purplish-brown and 

 lavender. 



WAGTAILS. 



The next family takes us to our confiding little friends, 

 the Wagtails (Motacilla), locally called "Quickies" or 

 " Quickstertjes," of which South Africa possesses seven 

 species. 



Taking them in order of classification we have first the 

 African Pied Wagtail (M. vidua) which is easily recognis- 

 able anywhere by its jet black and pure white plumage. 

 It is distributed over the greater part of Africa, south 

 of the great desert, extending northwards into Egypt 

 and Palestine. Its eggs are larger than those of the 

 Cape Wagtail. 



The Grey-backed Wagtail (M. longicauda) is blue-grey 

 above, the wing-feathers are black and white and the 

 under parts white with a black band on the lower throat. 

 The tail is rather longer than that of any of the other 

 species, measuring about 4 inches. It is not a common 

 bird, and is - very local in its distribution. Near 

 Grahamstown it has been found breeding, and we sub- 

 join a photograph of a young bird in its nest (PI. v.). Its 

 eggs are grey mottled with brown. 



The Cape Wagtail (M. capensis) is the common species 

 of South Africa. It is abundant in the Cape Colony, 

 Upper Natal, Orange Kiver Colony and the Transvaal, 

 becoming scarce in Khodesia and German South-west 



