THE WAGTAILS. 
95 
untiring, running about with the greatest swiftness on the lawn 
or pasture, or chasing them by the river’s bank. 
Nest. Placed in the hole of a bank or building, among roots 
of trees or even in the stems of an old ivy tree, growing against 
a wall. The nest is a very rough structure outside, made of 
grass, roots, and moss, but neatly lined with hair, wool, and some 
feathers. 
Ngg Si — Four to six in number. Ground-colour bluish-white 
or stone-grey, numerously spotted all over with minute dots of 
purplish-brown, sometimes collecting near the larger end, but 
generally scattered over the egg. The underlying marks are 
purplish-grey, very inconspicuous as a rule, but occasionally 
causing a blotch. On one specimen in the British Museum 
the underlying markings are very distinct, and form irregular 
blotches of a light-brown colour, with streaks and hair-lines of 
blackish brown. Axis, 075-0-9 inch; diam., 06. 
THE WHITE WAGTAIL. MOTACILLA ALBA. 
Motacilla alba, Linn., S. N., i., p. 331 (1766) ; Macg., Br. B., 
ii„ p. 221 (1839); Newt. ed. Yarr., 1., p. 548 (1874); 
Dresser, B. Eur., iii., p. 233, pi. 125 (1875); B. O. U. 
List Br. B, p. 29 (1883); Seeb.,Br. B, m p 199 (1884); 
Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus., x., p. 464 (1885); Lilford, 
Col. Fig. Br. B., pt. viii. (1888); Saunders, Man., p. 115 
(1889). 
Adult Male in Breeding Plumage. — Grey, not Mack , above; throat 
and fore-neck black ; ear-coverts white ; wing-coverts edged 
with white, with black bases ; head and nape black ; forehead 
white ; under surface of body white, the sides light ashy-giey , 
bill and feet black ; iris light brown. Total length, 6-7 inches ; 
culmen, 0-5 ; wing, 3-35 ; tail, 3-35 1 larsus > °‘ 8 5 ' 
Adult Female. — Similar to the male, but the black on the 
crown generally not so strongly marked, being mixed with 
ashy. Tolal length, 6*8 inches , wing, 3 3 * 
Adults in Winter Plumage.- -Distinguished by the white throat, 
followed by a crescentic band of black on the fore-neck ; the 
back grey, with a white forehead, followed by a black patch on 
the crown. 
