PIED WAGTAIL. 163 



bank of a streamlet or river, the side of a stack of hay, peat, 

 or wood, a stony or grassy bank, a mud wall, or on the 

 grass. Meyer has known one in the middle of a turnip field. 

 It is about five inches wide externally, by about three and a 

 half internally, and composed of stems of grass, leaves, small 

 roots, and moss, lined with wool, hair, thistle down, or feathers, 

 and any other such soft substances, all somewhat rudely, or 

 rather loosely put together. Mr. Weir sent Mr. Macgillivray 

 an account of a pair of these birds which built their nest in 

 an old wall, within a few yards of four men, who, during 

 the most part of the day, were working at a quarry, where 

 they were occasionally blasting the limestone with gunpowder. 

 There the female laid and hatched four eggs. She and the 

 male became so familiar with the workmen that they flew in 

 and out without shewing the least signs of fear; but if he 

 himself approached, so quickly did they recognise a stranger, 

 they immediately flew off, and would not return until he had 

 removed at least five or six hundred yards from their abode. 

 Also in May, 1837, another pair built their nest under the 

 platform at the top of a coal-pit, which was jarred against 

 every time that the coals were drawn up. They became 

 quite familiar with the colliers and other persons connected 

 with the works, flying in and out only a few feet off them, 

 without shewing the least symptoms of fear. The nest was 

 built within a few inches of where one of the men used to 

 stand. Mr. Jesse mentions another pair which built their 

 nest in a workshop occupied by braziers, and, though the 

 noise was loud and incessant, there they securely hatched their 

 young. 



The eggs, five or six in number, and of an elongated oval 

 form, are light grey, or greyish or bluish white, sometimes 

 tinged with yellowish or greenish, spotted all over with grey 

 and brown. They vary, however, very considerably both in 

 size and colour, some being much larger than others, some 

 much more deeply coloured, and some most spotted at the 

 thicker end, in the form of a zone or belt. 



The young are hatched after an incubation of a fortnight; 

 a second brood is generally reared in the year, the former 

 one having been produced early. 



Male; length, seven inches and a half to seven and three 

 quarters; bill, deep black; iris, dusky black; there is a narrow 

 space of white over it. Short bristles occur at the base of 

 the upper bill; forehead, white; side of the head, white; back 



