. The popular natural history . Zoology. 3i6 FIPITS. retires to the southern counties during the winter, as it would othewise be unable to obtain its food. The nest of the Wagtail is generally placed at no great distance from water, and is always built in some retired situation. Holes in walls, the hollows of aged trees, or niches in old gravel-pits are favourite localities with this bird. Heaps of large stones are also in great favour with the Wagtail, and I have generally found that where^ er a pile of rough stones has remained for some time in the vicinity of water, a Wagtail's nest is almo
. The popular natural history . Zoology. 3i6 FIPITS. retires to the southern counties during the winter, as it would othewise be unable to obtain its food. The nest of the Wagtail is generally placed at no great distance from water, and is always built in some retired situation. Holes in walls, the hollows of aged trees, or niches in old gravel-pits are favourite localities with this bird. Heaps of large stones are also in great favour with the Wagtail, and I have generally found that where^ er a pile of rough stones has remained for some time in the vicinity of water, a Wagtail's nest is almost invariably somewhere with- in it. I have also found the nest in heaps of dry brushwood piled up for the purpose of being cut into faggots. In every case the nest is placed at a con- siderable depth. The eggs are generally four or five in number, and their colour is grey-white, speckled with a great number of very small brown spots. The colouring of the Pied Wagtail is almost entirely b ack and white, very boldly disposed and distributed as follows. The top of the head, the nape of the neck, part of the shoulders, the chin, neck, and throat, are jetty black, contrasting boldly with the pure snowy white of the sides of the face and the white patch on the sides of the neck. The upper tail-coverts and the coverts of the wings are also black. The quill feathers of the wings are black, edged on the outer web with a lighter hue. The two exterior feathers of the tail are pure while, edged on the inner web with white, and the remainder jetty black. The under parts of the body are grey- ish white, taking a blue tint upon the flanks. The entire length of the bird is between seven and eight inches. This is the summer plumage of the male bird. In the winter the chin and throat exchange their jetty hue for a pure white, leaving only a collar of black round the throat. The female much resembles her mate in the general colouring of her plumage, but is about half an inch shorter. The Pipits,
Size: 1924px × 1299px
Photo credit: © Central Historic Books / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectzoology, bookyear1884
