328 



PASSERES. BIRDS. - 



which is so well put together that, although it looks 

 so slight and fragile that the weight of the parent bird 

 would be thought capable of bringing it down, it will, 

 with its contents, outride a gale that will bring the 

 weightier nests of jays and thrushes to the ground. 



THE PIED WAGTAIL (Motacilla Yarrellii).Fig. 

 109, preceding page. The Wagtails and Pipits with 

 which we close the present family, form together a 

 peculiar group which evidently approaches the Larks, 

 in the conirostral family of the Finches. The charac- 

 ters which chiefly indicate this analogy, consist in the 

 great development of the hinder claw, and in the struc- 

 ture of the wings, which have the tertiary quills much 

 elongated and pointed. Both the Wagtails and the 

 Pipits are lor the most part terrestrial in their habits, 

 and run upon the ground by the alternate motion of 

 their feet. 



The Pied Wagtail is a well-known British bird, 

 usually found in the immediate vicinity of water, 

 where its elegantly pied plumage and graceful move- 

 ments render it a conspicuous obj ect. On the margins 

 of rivers and ponds, and in damp meadows, this beau- 

 tiful little bird may constantly be seen running about, 

 or flying from one spot to another with a graceful and 

 buoyant flight, and accompanying every movement 

 with a singular perpendicular wagging of the tail, a 

 habit common to all the species and from which their 

 popular name is derived. The food of this species, as 

 of all the other Wagtails, consists principally of insects, 

 which it finds in abundance in the damp places fre- 

 quented by it, where also small mollusca and worms 

 occur freely, and doubtless form a portion of its diet. 

 Frequently also the Wagtail may be seen wading in 

 the shallowest parts of the water, and from an obser- 

 vation made by Mr. Rayner of Uxbridge, it would 

 appear that when thus engaged these birds are in pur- 

 suit not only of aquatic insects, but also of fish. They 

 will also capture insects on the wing, in the manner of 

 the flycatchers, by flying up from the ground in pursuit 

 of them as they pass along. 



In the southern counties of England this bird is a 

 permanent resident. It is common in the summer in 

 the north, and extends its range into Norway and 

 Sweden, but does not occur in the more southern 

 parts of the continent of Europe, where its place is 

 taken by a nearly allied species. The nest is composed 

 of moss, grass, and roots, and lined with hair and 

 feathers. It is placed sometimes on the ground, some- 

 times in a hole in a wall, a thatched roof, a hay rick or 

 wood stack, or in some similar position. The eggs are 

 four or five in number, white, with ash-coloured spots, 

 and the birds appear to rear two broods in the season. 



THE WHITE WAGTAIL (Motacilla alba) with which 

 the preceding species was formerly confounded, is an 

 abundant bird all over the continent of Europe, but is 

 only an occasional visitor to this country. The habits 

 of the two birds seem to be very similar. The dis- 

 tinctions between the two species according to Mr. 

 Yarrell, are "that the beak of our Pied Wagtail is 

 broader than that of the White Wagtail throughout its 

 whole length from the point to the more dilated base ; 

 and that while our pied bird changes on the back from 

 ash-grey to black in the breeding season, the back of 



the white bird remains as light in colour as it is in 

 winter." 



THE GEAY WAGTAIL (Motacilla boarulu) is another 

 abundant British species ; it performs a nearly total 

 migration within the boundaries of our island, being a 

 summer visitor to the northern counties, and a winter 

 visitor to the southern ones. Its habits are similar to 

 those of the Pied Wagtail, but it is even more aquatic, 

 and feeds freely upon the common small fresh-water 

 bivalves (Cyclas cornea}, and probably upon other mol- 

 lusca. It often runs upon the tops of weeds in ditches. 



BAY'S WAGTAIL (Budytes Rayi), unlike the pre- 

 ceding species, is a summer visitor to this country, 

 where it arrives about the end of March, taking its 

 departure again in September. The plumage of its 

 upper surface is pale olive, with the wings brown, and 

 that of the lower surface bright yellow. In its habits 

 it is less aquatic than any of the preceding Wagtails, 

 but frequents pastures and cornfields in search of insects, 

 not unfrequently attending sheep and cattle whilst 

 grazing, and running about almost under their feet to 

 pick up the insects and worms disturbed by their 

 movements. The nest is placed on the ground. 



THE MEADOW PIPIT (Anthuspratensis), also known 

 as the TITLARK, is a permanent resident in Britain, 

 and occurs all over the continent of Europe, in Northern 

 Africa, and in Asia. It measures about six inches in 

 length, is of a brown colour above, and whitish beneath, 

 with the breast spotted with (Jark brown. Commons 

 and waste lands are the favourite resort of this bird, 

 where it seeks its food, consisting of insects, worms, 

 and slugs, upon the ground, running along with great 

 facility, and occasionally vibrating its tail in the manner 

 of the Wagtails. The nest is built upon the ground 

 amongst herbage, and usually contains from four to six 

 eggs ; it is one of the favourite nests with the cuckoo 

 for receiving her eggs. The song of the male is soft 

 and musical, but short; it is usually uttered whilst 

 hovering over the nest. 



THE TREE PIPIT (Antltus arboreus), a summer 

 visitor to Britain, is found only in the wooded parts of 

 the southern counties. Like the preceding species, the 

 Tree Pipit runs freely upon the ground, where it seeks 

 its insect food, and constructs its nest ; but the male 

 perches upon the branch of a tree or bush when 

 engaged in singing. 



THE ROCK PIPIT (Anthus pdrosus), a third common 

 British species, is a permanent resident in our island, 

 where it haunts every part of the sea-coast. In its 

 general habits it resembles the preceding species, seek- 

 ing its food by running about upon the wet beach, and 

 carefully examining the sea-weed left by the retiring 

 tide, in search of small Crustacea and other marine 

 animals. Its nest is made upon the ground, or on the 

 ledge of a rock, usually facing the sea. A fourth 

 species, RICHARD'S PIPIT (Antkus Richardi), has 

 occasionally been met with in this country ; but it is 

 very rare, not only here, but also on the continent. 



THE COMMON INDIAN PIPIT (Anthus rufulus), and 

 the INDIAN TREE PIPIT (A. agilis), are abundant 

 birds in India during the cold season, probably migra- 

 ting to the northward fjr the summer. The former 

 resembles our Meadow Pipit in its habits ; the latter is 



