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MOTAClLLID.i:. 
RAY’S WAGTAIL. 
Motacilla Eayi, 
This species, though a rare straggler, also occurs in Unst, thus 
enabling us to include the whole of the British Motacillidse in 
the Shetland catalogue. So far as can be ascertained at present, 
it appears late in summer and early in autumn. Here, as in 
England, I have several times seen it feeding among cattle, in 
company with the Pied Wagtail. 
VIII. AXTHID^. 
THE MEADOW PIPIT. 
Anthus prat etuis. 
TEETICK — niLL-SPAEROW. 
In all parts of Shetland, the Meadow Pipit is now a common 
species, although many of the mo.st trustworthy and observant 
of the inhabitants believe that it has only been so plentiful of 
late years, or, as they say, “ since the rye-grass was brought 
into the country.” It may be thought that the connection of 
the two circumstances is somewhat remote, but the theory does 
not appear to be entirely groundless. My note-books contain 
abundant references to the sudden appearance of Meadow 
Pipits in the rye-grass fields as soon as the hay is cleared, 
usually in August. Most authors assert that the Meadow 
Pipit sometimes swallows seeds. In Shetland, at any rate, it 
often does so ; for on opening the stomach, I have repeatedly 
found at least one-third of the contents to consist of such food, 
the remainder being small insects and fine gravel. The seeds 
of rye-grass were not in a large proportion l)y any means, but 
it occurs to me as possible that grass of that species may be 
especially favourable to the production of some other food, 
even of an insect kind, more than usually attractive to the 
bird. However, ideas such as this, being apt to lead to rash 
