THE TIED WAGTAIL. 119 



those merry graceful birds, the AVagtails. Now 

 we see them peering down among the leaves of 

 the water-flowers, or wading into the stream itself. 

 and seizing the slugs and shell-fish which lie hidden 

 there, or the beautiful winged creatures resting for 

 a moment upon them ; or devouring the larvge of 

 some, which if left untouched, would soon be rising 

 on wings of azure and gold. These birds are most 

 delicately formed, with slender bodies and equally 

 slender feet, their small heads terminated by ex- 

 quisitely moulded bills, and their long well- 

 balanced tails moving up and down perpetually. 

 The merry wagtails, or dishwashers, as country 

 people call them, may be easily distinguished from 

 any other birds, for none of our wood or stream- 

 side minstrels at all resemble them in form, or in 

 the black and white plumage which is so conspi- 

 cuous even at a distance in the commoner species. 

 The Pied Wagtail* {Motacilla FarreZZn) might, 

 for some of its habits, be almost classed with the 



* The Pied Wagtail is seven inches and a half in length. The 

 ground colour is black ; but the forehead, the sides of the head 

 and of the neck, the edges of the wing-coverts, and of the tertials, 

 the outer tail-feathers, and the belly, are white. These are the 

 hues of spring ; but in winter the back becomes grey, and the 

 chin and throat are wlut<3 : the beak and feet are black. 



