68 THE BLUE-HEADED WAGTAIL. 



British Islands, and also in the North of France, 

 but is only known as a rare bird-of-passage in 

 spring in Holland. Of this bird, however, there 

 seems to be a second " colony," if one may use 

 the term, which inhabits Central Asia and the 

 countries round the Caspian Sea in summer, 

 and winters probably in South-eastern Africa, 

 for specimens have been received in collections 

 from the Transvaal and the Zambesi. Western 

 Africa is the winter home of our British-bred 

 individuals, and here we have a somewhat similar 

 case of distribution to that already explained in 

 our account of the Red-footed Kestrel. 



The breeding-ranges and migrations of the 

 Blue-headed Wagtail are not less interesting. 

 This is a first-cousin of Ray's Wagtail, and, like 

 that bird, belongs to the group of "Field" 

 Wagtails, as opposed to the " Pied " or " Water " 

 Wagtails, of which M. luguhris and M. alba are 

 the typical representatives. They are mostly 

 found in the fields, rather than at the water-side, 

 and nest in the meadows, instead of in sheltered 

 places, like the Pied Wagtails do. 



All the Wagtails, like their relations the Pipits, 

 have very long secondary quills, which are nearly 



