April 



probably, as we thought, what a gay young spark 

 he was in his sulphur waistcoat. The situation was 

 interesting as the dainty little black and white lady 

 and the gorgeous new-comer faced each other, and 

 one waited curiously to see which would " speak " 

 first. But there was a spectator even more in- 

 terested than we, and with a rush, her indignant 

 spouse placed himself between them. We expected 

 to see him attack the yellow wagtail, but, running 

 from side to side like a collie driving sheep, he 

 caused the lady to retreat around the edge of the 

 pond, while the gay intruder betook himself to a 

 neighbouring field. 



It was during the third week of April that the 

 main body of the yellow wagtails arrived in Stretford 

 with a rush, and some fifty or sixty birds remained 

 upon a limited stretch of the Mersey bank until the 

 end of the month, from which time until the middle 

 of May vigorous pairing went on. Somewhat con- 

 trary to their usual habits, these birds at this time 

 were much given to perching on trees, bush-tops, or 

 stems in the grass fields, an aberration in which they 

 were followed at the same season by those duller 

 members of their family the meadow pipits. 



Unlike the gay, but almost silent wagtails, the 

 meadow-pipit finds in song a free vent for the ex- 

 uberance of its feelings. Since the first week in April 

 the sudden " Sing ! sing / sing / " of its song became 

 more and more general, the bird mounting in steep 

 flight, singing as it rose ; until, at the culminating 



105 



