The Pied Wagtail. 111 

places.. The nest is composed of hay, dead leaves, 
moss, and a few roots, lined with hair, wool, and 
feathers. This nest is rather a massive structure, and 
but little pains is taken about choosing the spot as to 
secrecy, or if it should happen to be in a hidden place, 
the old birds will let every one who is near know 
where their treasure is by going in and out of the 
selected spot with great boldness. The cuckoo often 
deposits her eggs in this bird’s nest, and I remember a 
most amusing story of one that was hatched near the 
house oral imiend of mine. .He said, “ After it had lett 
its nest, the Pied Wagtail still continued to feed it, 
and the benefactors of this adopted cuckoo used to 
settle on the back of their monster charge, the young 
cuckoo seeming to understand the meaning perfectly 
well, by turning its beak round to receive the food 
waiting for it.” | | 
Country people call this bird “Dishwasher,” through 
its being often in the water, and splashing with its 
feet as it runs after an insect. This bird only goes in 
water where it is very shallow, such as wide fords, 
where the water seems scarcely to cover its feet, and 
