NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 45 



WAGTAILS, p. 42. There are four different kinds of wagtails. 

 1st. The white wagtail arrives in this country in the beginning 

 of March, and breeds mostly in old barns, and departs in small 

 flights in the middle of September. 2nd. The pied wagtail. This 

 bird never leaves this country; it is very common, and breeds 

 near brooks. 3rd. The grey or dun wagtail. This breeds in 

 Scotland, on the moors. They are caught round London from 

 the end of October to the spring. These birds are very rare; they 

 frequent brooks and ditches all the winter, and do not breed 

 here. 4th. The yellow, or Eay's wagtail, breeds on poor land ; 

 arrives in April and leaves in the middle of September. The 

 four species are found all over England ; they are easily kept 

 in confinement ; they have a short song, or rather call ; they 

 sing during the breeding-time. 



The wagtails have different calls. The call of the black-and- 

 white wagtail is " Physic, physic, physic," quickly repeated : 

 with a whistle Davy can make them come close up. Listen to 

 the first wagtail you hear, and you will find he invokes the aid 

 of the medical profession. 



Pied wagtails are pood fighters. "Cornubia" remarks, "During 

 the severe weather the daughters of a friend of mine, with praise- 

 worthy humanity, ministered to the wants of the various birds 

 morning and evening. Eobins, house and hedge-sparrows, black- 

 birds, tits, finches, wrens, and others, came punctually to their bi- 

 daily banquet ; but there was one amongst them quite a monster 

 of selfishness and tyranny, who made all others fly at his 

 approach, and he was none other than a pied wpgtail (Motacilln 

 Yarrelli). One would have expected to see the plucky 

 cock-sparrow, or pugnacious robin at least, resent the tyranny 

 of M. Yarrelli." 



WHEATEAR, p. 43. The Wheatear arrives very early in the 

 spring, and abounds particularly on the south downs. After 

 recovering themselves, they make inland to their breeding 

 places. Wiltshire is a favourite locality. They are, without 

 a doubt, a migratory bird, and one of the earliest visitors to this 

 country : they are frequently caught the first week in March. 

 The trap used to catch them is the common nightingale trap. 

 They are very easily caught ; the best bait is a meal-worm ; 

 they are splendid eating. They are sold in large numbers in 

 I'righton ; they are best and fattest in the beginning of April. 



STOATS AND WEASELS, p. 47. Stoats and Weasels, two distinct 

 species, are frequently confounded together, and the small female 

 stoat and large male weasel occasion much controversy. How- 



