9



THE PIED WAGTAIL


A WARNING.


By John Sergeant.


For nearly three years I have had in my largest aviary a

cock Pied Wagtail, and until recently he has lived on fairly

amicable terms with his foreign relations ; but about a month

ago I noticed that he was developing pugnacious tendencies,

and harrassing birds smaller than himself—but as there is plenty

of room and any amount of cover I thought no harm could

come of it.


After a while he seemed to gain more confidence in

his powers, and at last I saw him attacking a particularly

large and fine Shama which I have had for a long time.

On noticing this I was rather pleased than otherwise, because I

thought he would receive the thrashing that his conduct

deserved.


Going down to my aviary three days later, on the eve of

my departure from home, I was surprised to find the Wagtail

chasing the Shama, and the Shama seemed distressed and

thoroughly frightened. Had I not been going away I should

at once have caught the miscreant and caged him, but not

having time I was obliged to leave them, expecting to find a

tragedy when I returned.


And I was not disappointed, for my Shama was dead and

the Wagtail was master of the situation.


I immediately caught the murderer and gave him his

liberty, although he richly deserved the penalty of capital

punishment for his wickedness.


It seems little short of marvellous to me that a com¬

paratively insignificant and very fragile bird like a Wagtail

could actually run down and kill a bird three times his own

size, and more especially a bird like the Shama, that held

in subjection a Blackbird, a Thrush, a Baltimore Oriole, and a

Dyal, all larger birds than himself, and, in addition, a whole

aviary of more than forty other birds.


After this experience, I strongly advise any of our mem¬

bers who happen to possess a Pied Wagtail, especially if it be in

a mixed aviary, to carefully watch it.


I had always known that Wagtails were very intolerant

of the presence of their own and closely allied species, as this

particular bird, two years ago, has liarrassed into an early grave

three Yellow Wagtails; but I had no idea he would extend



