WHITE WAGTAIL. 



547 



with great courage when in danger, and upon the 

 approach of a Hawk will give an alarm, and pursue 

 it in company with the Swallows : they are ex- 

 tremely nice about their nests, and will remove 

 any dirt or extraneous substance's, as bits of paper, 

 straws, and the like, which have been placed as a 

 mark for the nest : they constantly reside in the 

 vicinity of watery places, feeding on flies and 

 other insects that frequent those parts : in the 

 winter they change their abode, and haunt marshes 

 that are overflowed by the tide, in the southern 

 parts of England ; in the northern parts and in 

 Scotland they are seldom seen during that sea- 

 son of the year, but upon the return of spring 

 they go back to their former situations, and ap- 

 pear to be gregarious at that time, as immense 

 numbers are often seen on new ploughed land. 

 They are very active birds, continually in motion, 

 and leaping after flies and other insects, after 

 which it will sometimes wade a short distance in 

 the water : the note of these birds is small and 

 insignificant, but is continually repeated, especially 

 in the spring. 



This species appears to be pretty generally dif- 

 fused over the old continent, the most northern 

 parts excepted. 



