RAY'S WAGTAIL. 419 



making its appearance about the end of March, or the be- 

 ginning of April, and leaves our southern shores in Sep- 

 tember. Like most of our summer visitors, this species 

 comes to us from the south, and in its habits is very like the 

 other Wagtails, except that it does not appear to be, like 

 them, so decidedly partial to water. It frequents arable 

 land, and inhabits fields of peas and tares, in both of 

 which I have found its nest ; it also frequents open downs 

 and sheep pastures, fields of young green corn, and not 

 unusually dry fallows, where, perched on a clod of earth, 

 or upon a stone, this bird may be seen fanning his tail, 

 and exhibiting his rich yellow breast to the greatest ad- 

 vantage. The nest is placed on the ground, and is ge- 

 nerally formed of dried bents and fibrous roots, lined with 

 hair ; the eggs are from four to six in number, not unlike 

 those of the Sedge Warbler, but rather larger ; whitish in 

 colour, mottled nearly all over with yellow brown and ash 

 brown ; the length eight lines and a half, the breadth six 

 lines and a half. 



The young birds are able to fly about the end of May ; 

 and may be seen from that time to the period of their au- 

 tumnal departure following the parent birds in search of 

 food. Like others of the genus, they are frequently to be 

 seen attending cattle and sheep while grazing, running 

 about so close to their feet as to appear in danger of being 

 trodden upon. A writer observes, " I have seen as many 

 as seven, which I concluded were the parents and their 

 offspring, running and dodging just before the cow's head, 

 apparently catching small insects. I suppose that the 

 cattle disturbed small flies, which are the favourite food of 

 this bird, lodged in the grass, and which as soon as they 

 arose were caught by the watchful Wagtail before they 

 could secure their retreat into the grass. We thus see 



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