176 OUTDOOR LIFE IN ENGLAND 



for a time, but erelong returned again. Every 

 now and then during the winter months they put 

 in an appearance in mild weather, but when 

 severe frost prevails they take their departure ; 

 where they go to at these times is somewhat of a 

 mystery to me, for their absence is not sufficiently 

 prolonged to admit of their migrating to any 

 very great distance. 



Some considerable similarity exists between 

 the yellow and gray wagtails, but it may be 

 here observed that whereas the yellow wagtail 

 is a summer visitant, the gray leaves us in the 

 spring, and remains with us only during the 

 autumn and winter months. Of the two birds, 

 the gray is the larger by nearly an inch. The 

 back of the latter is of a bluish-gray, the eye- 

 stripe being white. The back of the former is 

 of an olive-green, the eye-stripe bright yellow. 

 The head, and, indeed, the entire plumage, of the 

 yellow variety is of a more decided yellow. The 

 gray wagtail is more frequently to be observed 

 in the vicinity of streams ; it is a more hardy 

 bird than the yellow, and prefers the Northern 

 counties, though it is pretty generally distributed 

 throughout the country. 



The blue-headed yellow wagtail is also a summer 

 visitor. In size it is similar to the yellow variety. 

 Its plumage is, however, less yellow, and its 

 throat is white. The stripe over the eye, which 

 extends from the bill to the nape of the neck, 

 is broad and white. The gray-headed yellow 



