MOTACILLID.E. 
gl8 
INSESSORES. 
DENTIROSTRES. 
MOJACILLIDM. 
PLATE LXXXVIL 
RAY’S YELLOW WAGTAIL. 
Motacilla Rayi. 
This lively species is a well-known summer visitor to this 
country, which appears to be the most northern limit of its 
migration. It arrives in England about the middle of April, 
and departs from thence southward as early as September. 
Its migration northward is more limited than that of the 
former species, seldom penetrating into Scotland, nor to 
much extent into Ireland. Its course, when leaving this 
country, which it does in small flocks, appears to be di¬ 
rected due south, which may account for its being unknown 
on the European continent. Montagu speaks of this spe¬ 
cies as “ said to be ” an inhabitant of Siberia and Russia 
in summer ; but probably the M. citreola of Pallas has been 
thereby intended, since Temminck does not acknowledge it 
as a continental species. 
The Yellow Wagtail appears to frequent the water rather 
less than the other species of this family, and is more fre¬ 
quently seen in upland fields or walking over the furrows 
of newly-ploughed land. These birds, however, frequently 
appear in company with the Pied species on lawns and 
in gardens, exhibiting the same manners. They are usu¬ 
ally seen in pairs, or in autumn in small families, and show 
a strong attachment to one another. A remarkable instance 
