A STUDY IN BIRDS' TAILS. 243 



end of Autumn, and, with the other changes which take place, 

 little difference is apparent between that of the male bird and 

 his plainer mate. The long tail feathers are recovered in the 

 Spring. The bird is about the size of a Sparrow. 



Both the Trimmed and the Wandering Pies have very curious 

 and attractive tails, the one in Fig. 13 being that of the 

 first-named variety. It is a native of Cochin China. The bird 

 is chiefly remarkable for its graduated tail, which is about twelve 

 inches long. Each of these feathers appears as if cut and 

 trimmed at the tip with a pair of scissors. There is nothing 

 else very striking about the Trimmed Pie. and it only remains 

 for me to say that the whole of the plumage is black, a little 

 lustrous on the wings and tail. 



One does not notice the curiously sharp-cut feathers of the 

 last-mentioned bird in the tail of the Wandering Pie, but for all 

 that it is such as to claim a place in this little sketch. The 

 tail is grey, each feather being tipped largely with black. In 

 regard to the name by which this Pie is known, it is interest- 

 ing to quote what Mr. Gould wrote of the bird. He says : " The 

 specific denomination of this bird is bestowed upon it in 

 consequence of its peculiar habit of life. The Pica Vagabunda, or 

 Wandering Pie, unlike the typical Pies who remain constantly 

 stationary in one neighbourhood, seeking for their food in its 

 vicinity wanders from place to place, travelling over a large 

 space of ground, and not evincing a partiality for any parti- 

 cular situation." 



The tail of the British Cuckoo is well worth illustrating. There 

 are ten tail-feathers, which are of unequal length : the two middle 

 ones are black, dashed with ash and tipped with white, the rest 

 black, with white spots on each side of the shaft. It strikes 

 one as a rather curiously-constructed tail, there appearing to 

 be so many component parts ; but all very neatly fit in, and 

 it is a tail of which any bird might be proud ; simple in colour- 

 ing, it is true, but very attractive in formation. 



In the tail of the Great Spotted Woodpecker a bird which is 

 probably more abundant in our Country than is generally 

 supposed a very curious diversity exists when compared with 

 that of the Cuckoo. The feathers are finished off very sharply, 

 and this is a typical specimen of the tails of a good many of 



