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NATURAL HISTORY. 



wall, and are composed of stems and leaves of withered grasses, mixed with some moss and leaves, and 

 thickly lined with wool and hair, sometimes also with feathers. One now before me is of a somewhat 

 flattened form, rather bulky and rudely constructed, its external diameter five inches, the internal 

 three and a half. The outer layer is composed of fibrous roots, stems and blades of grasses, intermixed 

 with hair. The inner is a rude mass of hair of various kinds in tufts : human hair, black, brown, red, 

 and sand-coloured; hair of dogs, cats, cows, and horses; hog's bristles, and some cotton, thread, and 

 feathers. The eggs, five or six in number, are greyish-white, spotted all over with grey and brown, 

 their average length nine-twelfths of an inch, their greatest breadth seven and a quai'ter twelfths. 



" The ordinary note of this species is a sharp chirp. When alarmed or otherwise agitated, it flies 



WHITE WAGTAIL. 



about in a wavering manner, uttering a repetition of this note, and alarming the small birds in the 

 neighbourhood. In sunny weather, especially in the mornings, it may be heard singing a pleasant, 

 mellow, and modulated little song. The flight is light, buoyant, and undulated ; it propels itself by a 

 repetition of smart flaps, ascends in a curved line, then ceases for a moment, descends in a curve, re- 

 peats the motion of its wings, and thus proceeds, as if by starts, and with great velocity. Like many 

 other birds, it is not fond of flying down the wind, but prefers an oblique course. In its habits it is 

 quite terrestrial ; at least, I have never seen it search for food on trees, bushes, or even herbaceous 

 plants, although it not unfrequently perches on a hedge or bush during the breeding season. It is 

 curious to observe this species pursuing its prey in different localities. Thus, if you watch it for some 

 time when it has taken its station among stones or fragments of rock, you cannot fail to be pleased with 

 the activity and dexterity which it displays. There it stands on the top of a stone, gently vibrating its 

 tail, as if poising itself. An insect flies near, when it starts off, flutters a moment in the air, seizes its 

 prey, and settles on another stone, spreading and vibi-ating its tail. Presently it makes another sally, 

 flutters about for awhile, seizes two or three insects, glides over the ground, curving to either side, and 



