5 
human habitations, and is by no means shy. It is certainly one of the most elegant of our birds, 
taking the same place amongst our familiar birds that the Roebuck does amongst the mammals. 
It always reminds me of a neat pretty country maiden as it trips along—not a town beauty 
disfigured by crinoline or a long train, but a neat fresh country lass with a short dress and well- 
turned ankles. As it trips lightly along, the head is held erect, and every now and again it nods 
slightly and moves its tail. In the breeding-season it may frequently be seen paying its addresses 
to its mate, with spread tail and the feathers on the crown erected, the wings being also slightly 
opened ; and it is certainly then an elegant and pretty bird. It is, however, quarrelsome towards 
other birds, and will even follow a Crow or bird of prey, uttering anxious cries. It breeds twice 
in the season, in April and in June; but I found fresh eggs in 1874 as late as the 29th of July, 
and on one occasion on the 4th of October. The number of eggs deposited varies from five to 
seven, five or six being the normal number. With us they nest most frequently in stony places, 
and therefore are more seldom seen breeding in wooden than in stone houses or in walls or stone- 
heaps. It is frequently found in company with Motacilla melanope and the Dipper, in the 
vicinity of water-mills, and nests in the banks of the streams or under the bridges, taking care 
that the nest is well covered above. This spring, however, I took a nest, with five eggs, out of 
a hole in the ground; and some years ago I found one in a quite open place, in a strawberry-bed. 
When it nests in the faggot-stacks (as it not unfrequently does here), the Cuckoo often deposits 
her eggs in its nest. I must, however, not forget to name a rather curious circumstance to you. 
I was sitting at our window, upstairs, with my wife, and we observed a White Wagtail fly several 
times in and out of our neighbour’s chimney, which was smoking, the fire being on. Doubtless 
the bird had its nest inside the chimney.” 
Most of the eggs of this species in my collection are french white, minutely freckled with 
greyish brown or hair-brown; but some have a buffy tinge, and the freckles are of an olive-brown 
colour; in size they vary from 3§ by $3 to 34 by 24 inch. The nest is similarly constructed to 
that of the Pied Wagtail, being composed of rootlets, moss, grass bents, and lined with hairs and 
sometimes a few feathers. 
The specimens figured are :—on one Plate an adult male, in full breeding-dress, together with 
the male of Motacilla lugubris, and in the background is a bird of the year of the present species ; 
and on the second Plate an autumn-plumaged bird is figured, with an adult of JZ. dugudris in the 
same dress. ‘The specimens figured are those above described. 
In the preparation of the above article I have examined the following specimens :— 
E Mus. H. E. Dresser. 
a, 6. Christiania, April 12th, 1866 (R. Collett). 6,3. Stockholm, September 7th, 1848 (Meves). c, 9. 
Stockholm, October Ist, 1845 (Sundevall). d. France (Fairmaire). e, 3. Piedmont, April 1869 (Sal- 
vadori). f,2,9,3,h, 3. Piedmont, April 1870 (Salvadori). 1,3,j,3,k,3,1,9,m,3,n,2. Leiden, 
October 1870 (Sala). 0,2,p,é. Silesia, April 1867 (Moeschler). gq. Jutland, May 1870 (Benzon). 
7,3. Malta, November 1861 (C. A. Wright). s,3. Olympus, November 26th, 1869 (Kriiper). ¢, 3. 
Ortakeuy, April 2nd, 1869 (Robson). u,d,v,2. Asia Minor, March 1865 (Robson). w, 2. Asia Minor, 
z 
a7 
