on British Wagtails in Cage and Aviary. 273


intersecting paths were densely grass-grown, and upon saltings

dotted with clumps of a tough reedy grass: it was in the latter

place that my nest was obtained. I have never kept this species

in cage or aviary, but my friend Mr. Staines of Anerley had a

fine example some few years ago.


As an aviary bird I have found the Yellow species (lMotacilla

rail) the least aggressive and the Grey (M. melanope ) the most so ;

but from what other bird-owners have told me I conclude that

some examples of the Pied species (M. lugubris) are capable of

terrorising birds far superior to themselves in strength and

weight, and my own experience of associating this bird with my

first Grey Wagtail resulted in the death of the latter, which was

repeatedly driven from the food-dish until literally starved.

Towards tiny birds, like Blue-tits or Waxbills, I found the Grey

Wagtail especially malevolent; pinning them down on their

backs with one foot and viciously pecking them.


The most suitable companions for Wagtails are the smaller

Weavers, Java Sparrows, or other finches with powerful beaks—

such as Buntings, and the smaller Doves: I never knew them to

interfere with any of these, yet I have heard of a Pied Wagtail

completely dominating a Blackbird.


I first saw these birds in captivity many years before I

took up the study of aviculture in an aviary at the end of the

old fish-house at our Zoological Gardens. This first induced me,

when furnishing one of my covered aviaries, to introduce a

stream at the back of the enclosure with shelving sandy banks

running down to the water, backed up by flags and the water

Celandine. My Wagtails used to run down this bank to bathe,

frequently floating off out of their depth; but by slightly open¬

ing their wings and tails they easily and gracefully swam round

upon the surface and regained the bank. Unhappily a little Cole-

tit was less at home in the element and I found it floating dead

upon the surface of the water, which induced me to do away with

this arrangement.


I11 later years I believe the Pied and Grey Wagtails were

successfully crossed at our Gardens, and I understand that the

hybrids proved to be fertile: if this is actually the case, it would

seem that the Wagtails might prove as interesting a study for the

mule-breeder as the Doves, Ducks and Pheasants.



