121 



S 



THE GREY-HEADED WAGTAIL 



(Motacilla flava^ 

 IMILAR in form and general colouration 



to the last-named, amongst the flocks of 

 Yellow Wagtails that visit us in the spring the 

 grey-headed species no doubt often escapes 

 observation. But it is not on this account to 

 be considered rare. On the contrary, there is 

 good reason to believe that it is a regular 

 migrant to this country, and this is not sur- 

 prising when we consider that it is* the common 

 Yellow Wagtail of northern Europe, the true 

 Motacilla flava of Linnaeus. It differs chiefly 

 from Ray's Wagtail in having a well-defined 

 cap of a grey colour on the head, a white 

 instead of a yellow streak over the eye, and a 

 white chin instead of a yellow one. 1 It fre- 

 quents the same situations as the last-named, 

 and its habits are very similar. 



1 For some further points of distinction the reader may 

 be referred to "The Birds of Middlesex," pp. 64, 65. 



