The Yellow Wagtail. 187 



and small freshwater mollusca : but in confinement it would doubtless feed on the 

 usual soft food, like all its - congeners, and would make a most desirable and 

 interesting addition to an aviary. 



Family— MOTA CILLID^. 



The Yellow Wagtail. 



Motacilla rail, BoNAP. 



ACCORDING to Seebohm, this species " breeds in the north of France, passes 

 through the south of France, Spain, and Portugal on migration, and occa- 

 sionally strays into North-west Italy, in all of which districts it is possible that a 

 few remain to breed. In Africa it has been found in winter as far south as the 

 Transvaal on the east coast, and has occurred in Gambia, the Gold Coast, and the 

 Gaboon on the west. An isolated colony appears to exist in South-east Russia 

 and West Turkestan." 



To Great Britain the Yellow Wagtail is a summer migrant, being generally 

 distributed in England, excepting in Cornwall and Devon, where it is, however, 

 seen on migration. In Scotland it is far more local, being most common in the 

 southern counties, nevertheless it has perhaps been met with in Sutherlandshire, 

 and is believed to breed in Inverness and Aberdeen ; its occurrence in Orkney 

 and the Shetlands has been reported, but the statements need verification. In 

 Ireland it is not only very local but rare, though it is known to breed near Dublin 

 and at Dough Neagh. 



The male in breeding plumage has the upper parts for the most part of a 

 bright yellowish- green colour, forehead more yellow, and upper tail- coverts slightly 

 more olive : wing- coverts and flights smoky-brown, tipped and edged with pale 

 buff; tail blackish, the two outer feathers on each side white with black edging 

 to the inner webs ; a sulphur-yellow streak over the eye and ear-coverts ; the latter 



