ACROSS THE OPEN FIELDS AND DOWNS. 75 



indeed, the Yellow Wagtail is a close associate 

 with cattle, and may usually be met with running 

 round them, often within a few inches of the 

 mouth of a grazing horse or cow. The flies 

 disturbed by the feeding animals, or attracted by 

 them, are the cause of the Wagtail's presence in 

 such places ; besides, the droppings of the cows 

 and horses harbour beetles and other insects in 

 abundance, and these form the birds' chief food. 

 The Yellow Wagtail is only a fitful singer, rising 

 into the air at uncertain intervals, and warbling a 

 short yet sweet refrain. Then perhaps for days he 

 will not be heard again. The nest of this species 

 is placed among the grass at the foot of a tree, or 

 below a wall or a hedge, or on the banks at the 

 sides of the pastures. It is made of dry grass 

 and moss, and lined with finer grass and hair. 

 The four or five eggs are grayish white in ground 

 colour, marbled and blotched with various shades 

 of brown. Yellow Wagtails may be seen upon 

 the fields in flocks during September and October, 

 and then the migration is in progress. 



Decidedly the most prominent songster of the 

 fields and downs is the SKVLARK (Alauda widely 

 arvensis]. Who does not know this splendid 

 singer of the sky ? Who has not lain amongst the 

 long grass of the meadows, or the shorter herbage 

 of the downs, during the warm spring days, to 

 watch the tiny brown bird grow less and less as 

 he climbs on fluttering wing to the clouds ; to 

 listen to his rich, glad notes ; fainter and fainter, 

 high up there under the wide blue dome of 

 heaven ? These aerial song-flights render the 

 Skylark one of the most familiar of birds. In 

 the very earliest days of spring the Skylark 



