MOTACILLID^. 135 



common in these parts, where it is vulgarly known 

 as the " Dish-washer." It is resident with us all the 

 year, and I cannot see that there is any great addi- 

 tion to its numbers at any period of the year, except 

 late in the summer, after the young birds are out, 

 at which time our lawns and croquet-grounds are 

 covered with them ; and very pretty and amusing it 

 is to watch the old birds feeding the young with flies 

 and insects, in pursuit of which they may be seen 

 running quickly in all directions, and occasionally 

 flying up after a fly too high to be caught by a 

 jump. In the winter, when the sheep are in 

 turnips, the Pied Wagtails rather desert the lawns 

 arid croquet-grounds, and betake themselves to the 

 sheep-fold, where they may be seen busily engaged 

 in their usual occupation of catching flies and other 

 insects. Minnows are mentioned by Yarrell as part 

 of the food of these birds ; but I have never myself 

 seen them attempt to take any kind of fish : they 

 appear to me to confine themselves to insects and 

 worms, in search of which last they may often be 

 seen following the plough. 



The nest of the Pied Wagtail is placed in a 

 variety of different places, such as the ivy on, or a 

 hole in, an old wall, or in the side of a wood or hay- 

 rick. Mr. Jesse, in his ' Gleanings in Natural His- 

 tory,' mentions one very peculiar place : as it is in 

 a workshop of a manufactory in the town of Taunton, 

 I will quote what he says at length : " The room 



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