Periodical 
visitant. 
Food.- 
Nest, &c. 
210 PASSERES. MOTACILLA. Gait 
La Bergeronette jaune, Buff: Ois. vy. 5. p. 268.—Id. Pl. En}. 28. f. 1. young 
female.—Temm. Man. d’Ornith. v. 1. p. 257. 
Motacilla sulphurea, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. v. 3. p. 459. 
Yellow Wagtail, Aldin. 2. t. 58. 
Grey Wagtail, Br. Zool. 1. No. 144.—Wiil. (Angl.) p. 238.—Lath. Syn. 
4, p. 398. 4.—Id. Supp. p. 178.—Mont. Ornith. Dict.—Id. Supp.—Lewin’s 
Br. Birds, 3. t. 95. Ean t. 259.— Wale. Syn. 2. t. 227. —Pult, Cat. Dor- 
set. p. 8.—Bewick’s Br. Birds, v. 1. p. t. 190. 
Provincial, Winter Wagrtail 
With.all the activity and sprightliness that characters the 
preceding species, the present -bird unites a finer turn of 
form, and more graceful carriage ; and also exhibits a more 
varied and handsome arrangement of colours.—It is only 
known as a winter or equatorial migrant in the southern 
counties of England *, whilst in the northern parts of the ~ 
kingdom, on the contrary, it is a regular summer visitant, ar- 
riving in April, and retiring, with few exceptions, about the 
end of September, or the beginning of the following month. 
Previous to its departure, it assembles in small flocks or fa- 
milies, which haunt the meadows, or bare pastures; and, at 
this time, having acquired their winter’s plumage, the young 
and adults closely resemble each other.—In the north of 
England, and in Scotland, this bird resorts to the margins of 
clear streams, where it feeds upon the various aquatic insects 
and their larvee. It is very nimble, running rapidly, and fre- 
quently wading to the feathered part of the leg in the shal- 
low streams, in pursuit of its prey. It commences nidifica- 
tion very soon after its arrival; the place selected for that 
purpose being usually the stony bank, or a shelf of the rocky 
precipice that so often borders our northern rivers. The 
nest is made of moss and dry grasses, lined with hair; 
and the eggs, commonly six in number, are of a yellowish- 
grey, blotched by a darker shade of the same colour. . The 
grey wagtail produces two broods in the year ; the first of 
which is in general fledged by the end of May. Mownracu, 
in his account of this bird, has very properly rectified the 
* See Monv. Ornith. Dict. article Wagtail, grey. 
