252 INSESSORES. MOTACILLA. Wagtail. 



lar migration, as far to the northward as the Orkney Islands. 

 — In the southern counties of England it is indigenous, re- 

 maining through the whole year ; but in the northern parts 

 it is regularly migratory, retiring southward about the mid- 

 dle of October, and not re-appearing till February or the 

 beginning of March. — It frequents the open margins of 

 rivers and lakes, or meadows in the immediate vicinity of 

 water ; and is partial to closely-mown lands. — It runs with 

 Food, celerity, and is in continual motion in pursuit of the insects 

 that fly near the surface, which it also catches by short turns 

 of flight just above the ground, with singular dexterity. In 

 addition to the perfect insects, it feeds upon their larvae, and 

 upon worms. Its usual note-call is not unpleasant, and its 

 more extensive song (as in the pairing-season it warbles, the 

 early harbinger of spring, from the roof of a house, or the 

 top of a wall) is worthy of attention. It builds in various 

 situations, — in a heap of stones, upon the ground, in the cre- 

 vice of a stone-quarry, or hole in a wall; and not unfrequent- 

 ly, in the south of England, upon the top of the trunk of an 

 Nest, &c. old pollar tree. The nest is composed of moss, fibres of root 

 and grass, intermixed with wool, and lined with hair ; in 

 which it lays four or five eggs, of a greyish- white, speckled 

 with light hair-brown, and inferior in size to those of the next 

 species. They resemble so nearly the egg of the Cuckoo, as 

 to induce her frequently to select the nest of this bird for the 

 purposes I have before detailed. 



The flight of the Wagtail is interrupted, and performed 

 by jerks ; whilst on wing its call is veiy frequently repeated. 

 In autumn, previous to the departure of these birds to more 

 southern counties, they collect in small flocks, and haunt the 

 pasture-lands near the streams, or pools of water. 



Plate 49. Fig. 1. Male bird in summer plumage, and of 

 the natural size. 



