176 British Birds, with their Nests and Eggs. 



Viduinc or Ploccinc) ; although most of the marvellous transformation in these 

 birds is produced by change of colour, and the growth of new overlapping flank 

 and tail plumes. 



As aviarjr birds the Wagtails are among those most easy to keep and tame; 

 and, provided that a little insect food can be given occasionally, no birds are less 

 trouble to their owners. 



Family— MO TA CILLID^. 



The Pied Wagtail. 



Motacilla hcgiibris, Temm. 



CHIEFLY confined to the western countries of Europe, this Wagtail occurs 

 also in N.W. Africa : in the autumn stragglers have been killed from Nice 

 to Sardinia, Sicily, and Malta. In Great Britain it is common and generally dis- 

 tributed, and excepting in the extreme north, whence it migrates southwards at 

 the approach of vnnt&r, it is a partial resident. 



The colouring of this bird in breeding plumage is very pleasing; the upper 

 parts intense silky black, but the forehead, sides of head and a more or less 

 prominent streak or patch (confluent with the latter) on the sides of the neck 

 snow-white ; wing-coverts and innermost secondaries margined with white ; two 

 outermost tail-feathers on each side mostly white ; quill feathers of wings blackish 

 brown ; chin, throat, and breast black, the latter confluent -wdth the black on the 

 shoulder ; belly white ; the sides and flanks blackish ; bill and feet black ; iris 

 dark brown. The female is similar, but somewhat greyer above. Young birds 

 have the white areas tinted with yellow ; the upper parts grey, shading into 

 blackish on the upper tail-coverts ; under parts slightly paler, fading into whitish 

 on the under tail-coverts. 



After the autumn moult the entire colouring is less pure, and the black of 

 the chin and throat are replaced b}^ white. 



