30 YELLOW WAGTAIL TREE PIPIT. 



Materials. Dry grass, roots, moss, lined with hair and a few 

 feathers. 



Eggs. Yellowish white, clouded and mottled with pale 

 brown ; usually a hair-like streak, like next. 



YELLOW WAGTAIL (Motacilla rail). 



Migrant ; April to September. Well- distributed though not 

 abundant except in Devon and Cornwall. Local in Scotland, 

 Ireland, and Wales. 



Haunts. Pasture-lands, ploughed fields, commons, and 

 brickfields ; usually near water. 



Observation. Distinguish from Grey Wagtail by the brownish 

 (not dark grey) upper parts and relatively shorter tail. 



Plumage. Upper parts generally greenish olive, bright 

 yellow streak over eye. Wings brown, tipped and edged with 

 buff. Tail-feathers blackish brown, two outer pairs white, con- 

 spicuous in flight; under parts bright yellow. Bill and legs 

 black. Length 6^ in. Female browner above and paler below; 

 eye-stripe less yellow. Young even browner than female ; 

 throat buffish ; sides of neck and breast streaked and spotted 

 with brown. 



language. Song, not extensive and infrequently -uttered, 

 somewhat like the Swallow's ; call-note a soft whistle, and 

 another note much like the " chizzic " utterance of the Pied 

 Wagtail. 



Habits. Closely resembling the other Wagtails. It is most 

 active and graceful, running about quite unconcernedly around 

 the hoofs of beasts when grazing, leaping into the air at 

 intervals to take an insect. 



Food. Insects and their larvae, spiders, and worms. 



Nest. April onwards. Two broods. 



Site. On ground, in a natural depression or cart-rut, &c., 

 concealed by growing herbage. 



Materials. Grass, bents, and moss, lined with finer mate- 

 rials ; sometimes some wool hair, and a few feathers. 



Eggs. Four to six. Greyish white, mottled with pale ash 

 and olive-brown ; usually a dark hair-like streak at the large 

 end. 



TEEE PIPIT (Anthus trivialis). 



Migrant ; April to September. Occurring commonly in most 

 localities, except the most western parts of Cornwall and 

 Wales. More local in Scotland. Practically unknown in 

 Ireland. 



Haunts. Outskirts of woods, shrubberies, gardens, parks, 

 &c., where there are some good-sized trees. 



