165 
WHITE WAGTAIL. 
INSESS OR ES. 
DENTIROSTRES. 
MO TA CILL ID JE. 
WHITE WAGTAIL. 
Motacilla alba. 
PLATE XLI. FIGS. III. AND IV. 
The White Wagtail, the M. alba of Linnaeus, and 
the common pie-bald wagtail of the Continent, is not an 
uncommon visitant of this country, where it also remains 
to breed. That it is specifically distinct from M. Yarrellii , 
I greatly doubt. There is nothing in the appearance of 
its typical eggs by which they can be known from those 
of our more common bird. The most characteristic eggs 
of both are thickly freckled throughout with minute 
spots and streaks of grey or brown, the eggs of both 
differ much in size ; some of those of the White Wagtail 
sent from Sweden by Mr. Wolley, are one-third les£ than 
those I have figured, whilst other specimens, kindly sent 
me by Mr. Carter of Manchester, are very large ; the one 
drawn at fig. 3, with three others from the same nest, is 
not unlike eggs of the green linnet, and differs from any 
eggs I have seen of M. Yarrellii . Mr. Carter caught the 
female upon the nest, that he has sent me, which was 
placed in a reed stack on the fen near Whittlesea Mere 
where he saw the birds in great numbers for two succes¬ 
sive summers. He has also seen them near Manchester, 
and observed about a dozen at a time in a potato field 
near Conway. He has generally met with them in 
ploughed fields, and rarely by the side of water. He 
says :—“ I have also seen them at Turton, a small village 
