niiiDs. 2G7 



should be sheep's hearts, or other raw (Icsh-meat, clioppcd very 



fine, and all the strings, skins, and fat, taken away. But it 



should always be mixed with hard hen's eggs, upon which they 



will feed and thrive abundantly. 



with very uiinblB steps upon the strand, and tlioir lonff l('f?s enable them 

 even at times to enter the water to a small depth ; but they are usually seen 

 placed upon the stones and other little elevations about it. 



The wajrtail fixes its nest on the ground, luider some roots, or below the 

 turf; more frequently at the edpe of waters, under some hollow bank, in 

 elevated piles of wood alongside of rivers, and sometimes in heaps of stones. 

 It is composed of dried herbs, small roots, and moss, connected carelessly 

 together, and it is furnished inside with horse-hair, and feathers in abun- 

 dance. The eg-gs are from four to six in ninnber, of a bluish white, spotted 

 with brown. There are usually two broods in the year. The male relieves 

 the female dnrin;,' scmie hours in the day from the labour of incubatioii. 

 The little ones are born covered with down. The father and mother defend 

 them with much courajfe when they arc approached. They meet the ene- 

 •ny, fly about to lead him to a distance, and often succeed in deceiving hin> 

 by their manoeuvres. If their young family is carried otf, they fly about the 

 head of the ravisher, turn incessantly, and continually utter piercing cries. 

 It has been remarked that they attend very scrupulously to their young, 

 keeping the nest extremely neat, and cleansing it carefully from all kinds 

 of filth and ordure. They fling these out, and even carry them to a certain 

 distance. This last precaution seems to be the result of a different instinct 

 from that of mere cleanliness. It would seem to be done rather with the 

 view of removing every indication of the proximity of their nest. Many 

 other birds use a similar precaution, especially diu-ing the first ten or twelve 

 days after the birth of the young. They even carry off the egg-shells when 

 the young are evolved, and take them to a considerable distance. This ha- 

 bit is so innate in birds, that even canaries, which, in a loag lapse of cap- 

 tivity, one would imagine, would leave it oft', take the shell, the moment 

 the little one comes out, and either transport it to the dung which is in that 

 part of their cage the farthest from the nest, and conceal it there, or else 

 break it to pieces and swallow it. 



When the young fainily is in a state to fly, the parents still conduct and 

 feed it, for three weeks or a month. This is a period in which they wage 

 incessant war with the insect tribe, seizing and devouring them with the 

 most extraordinary quickness, Avitliout appearing even to give themselves 

 time to swallow them. They collect the little worms on the ground, gorge 

 themselves with the eggs of ants, and often make tiu-ns in the air, to catch 

 the flies and gnats. 



The wagtiiils are not distrustful, and are less fearful of man than of the 

 birds of prey. They are not even nuich frightened by fire-arms, for, on 

 being aimed at, they do not lly far, and frequently return and jjlace them- 

 Belves within a short distance of the fowler. They give into all kinds ot 

 snares which are laid for them, quite easily ; but if taken when adult, they 

 cannot be preserved in cages, but will die in four-and-twenty Iiours. For 

 this purpose, they must be taken from the nest, and reared like the nightiii- 

 I'ales. Of the species which frequent Britain are the Pi;>d Wagtail, tlio 

 Ovey or Water Wagtail, and the Yellow Wagtail. 



z2 



