WHITE WAGTAIL. Ill 



counties the numbers of this species are reduced to the extent of 

 those migrating flocks, leaving comparatively few in some places as 

 winter residents. The Inner Hebrides, indeed, are at that season 

 nearly deserted by the species, while in the outer Islands, including 

 St Kilda, it appears to be strictly migratory, arriving in March and 

 departing about the end of September. 



I have observed young broods of Pied Wagtails in full feather 

 by the middle of May. They appear to follow the old birds for 

 some time after leaving the nest, and they then form a very, 

 interesting family group when running along the sunnyside of a 

 bank or wall and getting their first lessons in fly- catching. The 

 Gaelic name of the bird breac-an-t'-sil signifies a plaid, and has 

 probably been applied to this wagtail from a resemblance which 

 the contrasting colours of its plumage on the breast bear to that 

 article of apparel when wrapped closely round the upper part of 

 the body, as many Highlanders are in the habit of wearing it. 



I suspect that this species is subject to considerable variation 

 in plumage. In a series of about twenty killed at the same season 

 of the year I find remarkable differences even in old birds, some 

 being light grey and some deep black, while others are strongly 

 tinged with yellow on the sides of the head and under parts a 

 plumage* hitherto supposed to belong to birds of the first year. 

 These differences are not to the same extent observable in specimens 

 killed in the eastern and central districts of Scotland. It is doubt- 

 ful, I think, if this bird can be regarded as anything more than a 

 local race of the next species. 



THE WHITE WAGTAIL. 

 MOTACILLA ALBA. 



IN the winter of 1847, I observed a single example of this species 

 frequenting a refuse heap in company with three or four pied 

 wagtails on the shore at Dunbar, in East Lothian. On carefully 

 examining the bird, after being shot, I found it presented all the 

 essential characters which are said to distinguish it from the last 

 species. I have at various times since seen very light coloured 

 wagtails on the same coast, and also on the western mainland, but 

 these were probably only varieties of the common bird. Macgilli- 

 vray mentions having met with this bird several times in the 



