MOTACILLID&. 121 
THE PIED WAGTAIL. 
MortacfLLa LUGUBRIS, Temminck. 
The Pied Wagtail was first distinguished from the White Wagtail 
of the Continent by Temminck, who conferred upon it, in 1820, the 
above scientific name ; in ignorance of which, Gould, seventeen years 
later, called our bird AZ yarre//i. Throughout the British Islands 
this is a common and generally distributed species ; visiting the 
extreme north of Scotland in March and remaining to breed, but 
migrating southwards, as a rule, on the approach of winter. It 
nests, sparingly, in some of the Hebrides, and from the Orkneys it is 
now never absent, but in St. Kilda, as also in the Shetlands, it is only 
known to occur on the spring and autumn migrations. In Ireland 
it is common and, on the whole, resident, though partially migratory 
as regards the northern districts ; while even in England, though 
always present, there is a general movement southward in autumn, and 
northward in spring. The late Mr. A. E. Knox observed large flocks, 
mainly composed of young of the year, early in September, travelling 
along the coast of Sussex in the direction of Kent, whence the transit 
to the Continent is shortest ; while from the middle of March numer- 
ous small parties, consisting of old males (the females being later), 
have been seen to arrive from the sea where the Channel is wider. 
L 
