The Blue-headed Wagtail 



England, but breeds in South Europe from Italy eastwards, 

 may be recognised from M. borealis by its rather darker 

 head and cheeks and by having the entire throat white. 



Lastly, we have the Black-headed Wagtail, M. melano- 

 cephala, which inhabits South-eastern Europe and has a 

 black head with hardly any trace of an eye stripe, and 

 which was also obtained on the south coast in 1906. In 

 this form the cheeks and under parts, including the chin, 

 are bright yellow. 



THE YELLOW WAGTAIL 



Motacilla rail (Bonaparte) 



In the flat meadow-lands and pastures intersected by 

 ditches or bordering some sluggish river, we may see this 

 brilliant little fellow as he struts about under the feet of 

 the cattle. At one moment he is running forward to pick 

 some insect off the grass with an audible snap of his slender 

 bill, and the next jumping up to seize, after the manner of 

 the Flycatcher, some winged insect that has come within 

 range of his sharp eyes. 



This bird is a true migrant, reaching our shores during the 

 latter half of April and leaving us again in September. The 

 males arrive, as is the case with so many species, a few days 

 before the hens, and on their arrival nest-building is begun 

 without further delay. The site chosen is on the ground in 

 the middle of an open field and generally near some upturned 

 sod or in the deep footprints of the cattle. A few grass stems 

 loosely laid together and lined with horsehair suffices for a 



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