194 A DESCRIPTION OF 
the half-drowned fly or moth, which the canal stream car- 
ries away. Next to the robin redbreast and the sparrow, 
they come nearest to our habitations. The Wagtails are 
much in motion ; seldom perch, and perpetually flirt their 
long and slender tails, principally after picking up some 
food from the ground, as if that tail were a kind oflever, 
or counterpoise, used to balance the body on the legs. 
They are observed to frequent, more commonly, those 
streams where women come to wash their linen ; proba- 
bly uot ignorant that the soap, the froth of which floats 
upon the water, attracts those insects which are most accep- 
table to them. 
There are two species of Wagtails, the common kind, 
which has somewhat of a proud conceited air, and which is 
common in Britain only in summer ; and what is called 
the Winter Wagtail, which is never found after February 
or March. The first, which is a very lively little bird, 
and seems always in a bustle, is black, softening into ash- 
colour and white ; it is also bold, and will take the food 
thrown to it with as much confidence as a robin redbreast. 
The Winter Wagtail, on the contrary, is retiring in its 
habits, and much slower in its motions ; its breast is yel- 
low, and its wings greyish. 
The Yellow Shepherdess (Budytes flava) was once in- 
cluded in the Wagtails. The male is olive-green on the 
back, and yellow on the lower part of the body, but the 
breast of the female is nearly white. These birds do not fre- 
quent the banks of rivers, but are generally found walking 
among the grass of meadows, and following sheep. They 
are rare in England ; and are only seen here in spring ; 
on which account they are sometimes called spring Wag- 
tails. 
