Title: The illustrated natural history (microform)
Identifier: cihm_50038 (find matches)
Year: 1863 (1860s)
Authors: Wood, J. G. (John George), 1827-1889
Subjects: Birds; Natural history; Oiseaux; Sciences naturelles
Publisher: London : Routledge, Warne, and Routledge
Contributing Library: www.flickr.com/search/?tags=bookcontributorCanadiana_org
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Alberta Libraries

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YK1.I.0W \VA(iT.\lI..-.V.;^(ri7/.i ml,:hnirn Tills siH'cios i.s not quite so coninion us tlic Tiod 'Wii'-tfiil, and seems to iiii«,'ra(o back- winds ami forwards in Eiinhmd according,' to the temperature. In tlie northern counties it is a suinini'r visitant, lait is more ))crmancntly stationed in the southern parts of the isliuid, and mostly l)reeds in warm, we!l-\vateri'd localities. About Oxford it is far from UMcoiniuon; but althou,L,di the bird itself might often be seen haunting the river-banks and â noklcts which abound in tliat neiiihbourhood, T never remendier tindin.i^- its nest. It is - ",-1 ^v.,,....,.,, 1 ..vvjvi iviii\iiiifvi llllVillll^ 11.-) ilV.TL, J 1/ in a special lover of water, and seldom seems to liy to any great distance from the brook or liver ill whieli it liiids its food. bike the Tied Wagtail, it feeds largely on aipiatic insects and larva^ and is also known te eat suiall water molluscs, not troubling it.self to separate the soft body from the hard and shiirp-edged shell. t)f tile nesting of this species Mr. Thompson speaks as follows: "The situations gciieraliy selected for the nest are holes in walls, the preference being given to those of liridges, about mill-wheels, or otherwise contiguous to water. In the romantic gkms of the r.ell'ast mountains they also build, and for this imrpnse a ))air generally resort to a tissare in the rock, beside a picturesque cascade of 'the Fails," just such a place as would lie chosen l)y the water-ousel. On tla; 18th of )\Iarcli, a iiai'r of (Irev Wagtails, 'with l)lack ))atch on throat,' have been noted, ajiparently ccmtempiating nid'iticaticm, at Wolf ilill, liy minutely examining their former breeding'haunts ; and oii the 12th of )\fay the young oftiie lirst brood M-cre seen on wing, though .still requiring their ))arents' aid to feed thcin. ()ccasionally there is a second brood. The nest is generally formed of grasses or ntlicr delicate plants, and lined with horsehair. It is singular that tliey generally manage 'Sw-e,^*** mJUmi. : ;;J«

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