78 The Wagtail. 



them perched on a roof, a wall, or a large stone, but very rarely 

 on a tree or bush. 



They pair about the middle of April, and build by the side of 

 rivers in crevices of rock — as in our picture, on a heap of 

 stones, in faggot or wood stacks, or in a hole in a wall, but 

 always near water and carefully hidden from sight.. The nest 

 is made of dry grass, moss, and small roots, thickly lined with 

 wool and hair. The eggs are five or six in number, of a greyish 

 white, spotted all over with grey and brown. As a proof of the 

 confiding nature of this bird, I must mention that occasionally 

 it builds in most unimaginable places, directly under the 

 human eye — as, for instance, " a pair of them last summer," 

 says Mr. Jesse, " built their nest in a hollow under a sleeper of 

 the Brighton Railway, near the terminus at that place. Trains 

 at all times of the day were passing close to the nest, but in this 

 situation the young were hatched and reared." Mr. Mac- 

 gillivray also mentions that a pair of these birds built their nest 

 in an old wall near a quarry, within a few yards of four men 

 who worked most part of the day in getting the stone, which 

 they occasionally blasted. The hen-bird laid four eggs, and 

 reared her brood, she and her mate becoming so familiar with 

 the. quarry-men as to fly in and out without showing the least 

 sign of fear ; but if a stranger approached they would imme- 

 diately fly off, nor return till they saw him clear off from the place. 

 Another nest was built beneath a wooden platform at a coal- 

 pit, where the noisy business of unloading the hutches brought 

 up from the pit, was continually going forward. But soon 

 the wagtails were quite at home, becoming familiar with the 

 colliers and other people connected with the work, and flew in 



