The Blue-headed Wagtail 



England, but breeds in South Europe from Italy estwards, 

 may be recognised from M. "borealis by its rathe darker 

 head and cheeks and by having the entire throat wlte. 



Lastly, we have the Black-headed Wagtail, fomelano- 

 cephala, which inhabits South-eastern Europe ar. has a 

 black head with hardly any trace of an eye st.pe, and 

 which was also obtained on the south coast in 196. In 

 this form the cheeks and under parts, including le chin, 

 are bright yellow. 



THE YELLOW WAGTAIL 



Motacilla rail (Bonaparte) 



In the flat meadow-lands and pastures interscted by 

 ditches or bordering some sluggish river, we majsee this 

 brilliant little fellow as he struts about under th feet of 

 the cattle. At one moment he is running forwarf to pick 

 some insect off the grass with an audible snap of hi slender 

 bill, and the next jumping up to seize, after the mnner of 

 the Flycatcher, some winged insect that has COIB within 

 range of his sharp eyes. 



This bird is a true migrant, reaching our shores dring the 

 latter half of April and leaving us again in Septemlr. The 

 males arrive, as is the case with so many species, afew days 

 before the hens, and on their arrival nest-buildingjs begun 

 without further delay. The site chosen is on the found in 

 the midci \, of an open field and generally near someipturned 

 deep footprints of the cattle. A few giss stems 

 iogether and lined with horsehair suftes for a 



