THE PIED WAGTAIL. 123 



The pied wagtail was, until recently, believed 

 to be the same as the continental species, and both 

 kinds were included by ornithologists under the 

 name of Motacilla alha. Mr. Gould ascertained 

 that they were quite distinct from each other, and 

 that our English wagtail is much more robust 

 than the wliite or pied wagtail of France, and of 

 Europe generally. During winter, the colours of 

 the two species are so similar as to account for 

 their having so long been thought one ; and their 

 manners and habits are exactly alike. In summer, 

 however, the pied wagtail of England has the 

 whole of the head, back, and chest, of a full deep 

 jet black : while in the continental kind, at this 

 period, the throat and head alone are of this 

 colour, and the rest of the upper surface is of a 

 light ash grey. This writer considers, that the 

 Motacilla alba, though so common in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Calais, has not yet been discovered on 

 the opposite shores of Kent ; he therefore named 

 our English bird after the excellent naturalist, 

 Mr. Yarrell. There are some good observers of 

 birds, however, who think that the continental 

 species is occasionally seen in our island. 



The pied wagtail has, besides its call-note, a 



