MOT ACILLID^ . 139 



slightly tinged and speckled with very dull brownish 

 yellow, hut they vary slightly both in size and 

 colour. 



GREYHEADED WAGTAIL, Motet cilia flava. I have 

 not met with this species myself in the county: 

 the two I have in my collection were bought of 

 Mrs. Turle, the birdstuffer at Taunton, and said to 

 have been killed near that place. I have also been 

 informed that in some parts of the county it is 

 considered more common than the Yellow Wagtail 

 (M. Rayi), next to be described, for which it has 

 frequently been mistaken. 



On the Continent, where this bird is very com- 

 mon, it is said to inhabit wet springy places in 

 moist meadows and the gravelly edges of rivers; 

 and in such places it finds its favourite food, which 

 consists mostly of aquatic insects, flies, moths and 

 small green caterpillars. 



The nest appears to be placed in a variety of 

 situations, in ,holes in the ground, amongst roots 

 of trees by the sides of ditches, and on the boggy 

 parts of heaths, almost always in moist situations : 

 it is composed of coarse grass, moss and pieces of 

 heath, and lined with fine grass, roots, moss and 

 hair. 



The adult male has the beak black ; irides dusky 

 brown; head, ear-coverts and nape darkish grey; 

 there is a dull white line over the eye and ear- 

 coverts ; back, scapulars and tail-coverts olive-green, 



