THE WAGTAILS. 105 



in India, but they are rare, and all the group look very 

 much alike. 



THE WAGTAILS. 



The Wagtails and Pipits form a family of small insect- 

 eating birds of very graceful shape and active habits 

 which live almost entirely on the ground, running about 

 instead of hopping like most small birds. The Pipits 

 are dull streaky-brown birds, not particularly interesting 

 either in appearance or habits, but the Wagtails are 

 much better known on account of their conspicuous 

 appearance, and it is with them alone that I shall deal 

 here. Their tails are long, but even at the tip, not forked 

 or sloped like those of most long-tailed birds, and they 

 are constantly moving them up and down. Their legs 

 are also rather long, and their bills slender, but of moderate 

 length. They are extremely active birds on the ground, 

 but do not perch much. They are good fliers, and when 

 on the wing progress in bounds or curves, alternately 

 closing and opening their wings. Most small birds fly 

 in this way, but it is particularly marked in the Wagtails. 

 Possibly the idea in closing the wings and swinging along 

 in curves is to get an impetus which their light weight 

 would make unattainable otherwise, for no large bird 

 flies like this. 



Although a good many collect together in winter, 

 Wagtails cannot be called really sociable birds, and are 

 evidently happiest alone, except when breeding. The 

 cock and hen do not differ much in appearance, but the 

 young are sometimes very different from them. The nest 



