'TTi^M 



38 THE BIRDS OF DEVON. 



US in the summer ; Avhile those which are found in this 

 country throughout the year change their quarters within 

 its limits, some of them, doubtless, leaving us altogether 

 for more southern latitudes. 



In their full adult dress the various species are to be 

 easily distinguished, but the young are very puzzling from 

 their close resemblance to one another, a remark which 

 applies especially to the various closely allied forms of 

 Yellow Wagtail. We confess to have found great diffi- 

 culty in discriminating between several Yellow Wagtails 

 obtained in this country which we have handled, and 

 believe that it is quite impossible to assign the immature 

 birds with any certainty to their respective species. And 

 this difficulty is one which meets us not only in the Wag- 

 tails, but also in other summer migrants, from the fact 

 that they arrive in all stages of plumage. Some of them, 

 after leaving us in the autumn, directly they reach their 

 warm winter-quarters in the North-African oases, may, 

 ])erhaps, proceed to undertake again the cares of a family, 

 and those birds which come to us in the following spring 

 still in immature dress may be either the young birds 

 which have there been produced, or else birds of the 

 previous year, not yet arrived at their full plumage. The 

 immense numbers of Wagtails congregating in autumn on 

 our south coast is one of the most striking features of 

 Devonshire ornithology. 



White Wagtail. MotadUa alba, Linn. 



A summer migrant. Arrives early in March and remains until Sep- 

 tember. It is not uumerons, and appears to he rather local. Breeds ? 



The late Eev. ll, A. Julian observed one in the Laira Marshes, near 

 Plymouth, on April 24th, 1S51, and the late Mr. J. Gatcombe obtained 

 several specimens and saw many others there April 26th, 18.53, April 24th, 

 1871, March 3rd, 1872. and September 1st, 1882 ('Naturalist,' 1S.51, 

 p. IGl, 18.53, p. 228; 'Zoologist,' 1872, p. 3049, 1882, p. 4.59). 



The "White Wagtail has not been met with, as yet, within the Kingsbridge 

 district (R. P. N.). 



