on the Nesting of the White Wagtail. 325


ship commences with a curious mannerism: the male crouches

directly in front of the female, facing her, and widely opens his beak.

A little reflection will convince us that this curious pose (also

adopted by the Blue-throated Warbler), is simply the attitude of a

young bird asking to be fed, which sufficiently explains its origin

(See Darwin on the origin of kissing).


The display is very characteristic and interesting. The

female crouches on the ground with quivering wings and tail, and

beak raised. The male standing sideways to her grovels on the

ground, trailing his drooping wings ; he then throws himself on that

side which is farthest from the hen, the wing on this (the furthest)

side drooped and quivering, the other wing raised perpendicularly

and also quivering.


19th May. The female commenced to build in a nest-box

(not the same one). 2nd June. Female commenced to sit. 4th

June. When the female comes off the nest, the male takes her

place ; if he delays to do so, the female drives him to the nest.

13th June. Shells of two eggs carried out of nest. It is not

possible to inspect the latter on account of its position in the nest-

box, and the fact that the top of the latter is a fixture. 26th June.

One fine young bird looking out of entrance hole. 27th June. Mr.

A. G. Findeisen (a member of the F.B.C.) and myself watched two

young birds fly from the nest, and saw one or more in the box.

30th June. One young bird helping itself from the receptacle

containing live insect food.


5th July. Caught adults and young (four), and took second

clutch of eggs (four) and two addled eggs of the first clutch (which

therefore had originally consisted of six eggs).


I have no less than 18 eggs of this species, all laid in the

aviary. They vary considerably, both in size and marking's. The

smallest egg measures 77mm. in longest diameter, and the largest

86mm. The majority are densely freckled with light grey, but some

have a few purplish markings, and some a few pale brown spots.


Adult Plumage. The published descriptions of the adult

and immature plumage which I have seen being somewhat meagre

and even contradictory, I will add a brief description of a very fine

male caught in Central Europe. Length barely 7" (Saunders says



