196 PIED, OR yaurell’s wagtail. 
evince great anxiety when the nest is approached, 
flitting about with restless and reiterated cries. 
The food, during the summer months, is almost 
exclusively insects and larv®, particularly aquatic 
ones, also the smaller fresh water moluscse ; a 
great deal, during winter, is picked up in the 
farm yard or dunghill, which, from its heat, is an 
attraction to many insects, and also affords soft 
portions of grain or seeds. In addition, small 
fish may be occasionally taken, for on the autho- 
rity of William llayner, Esq. of Uxbridge, Mr 
Yarrell has stated, that this Wagtail, when kept 
in confinement, caught minnow's, in the most 
dexterous manner, from a fountain in the centre 
of his aviary. * There are many favourable 
situations, in our brooks and ditches, where this 
might be practised, though we have never seen 
it put in execution. 
In geographical distribution it has been gene- 
rally understood that this bird ranges over the 
whole United Kingdom ; but from the evident 
confusion between the birds- of Europe and of 
Britain, it is possible that the range of both may 
be more extended. So far as we presently know, 
M. Yarrellii of Gould is at present the only known 
British species ; and it is likely, as Mr Gould 
suggests, that the Channel may be the boundary 
line ; at the same time we have little doubt that 
specimens of the grav-backed bird will be found 
on our own side of the Channel. 
Yarrell, i. p. 365. 
