WHITE WAGTAIL. 



is stated that it inhabits meadows in the vicinity of streams 

 of water, villages, and old houses. Its food consists of 

 insects of any sort and in any stage of their existence ; the 

 nest is placed among grass in meadows, in a fissure of 

 decayed buildings or rocks, or under the arch of a bridge, 

 where five or six eggs are deposited of a bluish white colour, 

 spotted with black. This species is found in summer as far 

 north as the Arctic Regions. Professor Nilsson says that it 

 appears in Sweden in April, and leaves in October. It is 

 spread over the whole of the European continent, and is 

 found also on several of the islands of the Mediterranean, 

 namely Corfu, Sicily, Malta and Crete. Mr. Gould, in his 

 account of this species in his History of the Birds of Europe, 

 says, that it is common in Africa and on the high lands of 

 India. 



In the adult male in summer the beak is black, the fore- 

 head, region of the eyes, and part of the side of the neck as 

 low as the wing, pure white ; top of the head, and a square 

 patch at the back of the neck, black ; the scapularies, all 

 the back and upper tail-coverts pearl grey or very light 

 ash grey ; wing primaries, tertials, and wing-coverts nearly 

 black with broad outer margins of white ; the two outside 

 tail-feathers on each side white, with a narrow line of black 

 on the inner margin ; the other tail-feathers black ; the 

 chin, neck in front, and the upper part of the breast, 

 black ; under surface of the body white ; legs, toes, and 

 claws, black. 



The whole length seven inches and three-eighths ; the 

 wing from the anterior bend rather more than three inches : 

 and this bird always appears rather smaller than the Pied 

 Wagtail. 



The female, according to M. Temminck, has the fore- 

 head and cheeks dull white ; the black colour at the 



