76 THE YELLOW WAGTAIL. 



ORDER PASSERES. 



The Yellow Wagtail. 



Motacilla Flava. LINK. La Eergeronette de Printems. 



Black-and- White Water- Wagtail. 



Motacilla Alba. La Lavandiere. 



THIS sprightly race of birds, so common in all 

 parts of the country, Bewick observes, may be 

 easily distinguished by their brisk and lively 

 movements, and by the great length of their 

 tails, which they jerk up and down continually, 

 deriving their name from this peculiarity in va- 

 rious European countries. 



We have three species in England the two 

 mentioned above, and the grey wagtail, Mota- 

 cilla Boarula. Of these, the yellow, is the most 

 attractive to the eye, and deservedly ranks as 

 one of the most elegant of our birds. The yel- 

 low wagtail is an early spring visitant to our 

 meadows and corn-fields, where it frequently 

 nestles. In the winter, it is said, by Bewick, to 

 haunt the sides of brooks and streams, which do 

 not freeze ; yet some other ornithologists speak 



