ially when in
full breeding plumage, as the back of the Pied Wagtail is black, while
that of the White Wagtail is grey. After the autumnal moult, however,
the distinction is not quite so easy, as the feathers of the Pied
Wagtail are then margined with grey, which rather conceals the colour
beneath; but if the feathers are lifted up they will be found to be
black under the grey margins. The young birds of the year, in their
first feathers, cannot be distinguished, and the same may be said of the
eggs.

The White Wagtail is included in Professor Ansted's list, but marked as
only occurring in Guernsey. There is no specimen either of the Pied or
White Wagtail in the Museum.

53. GREY WAGTAIL. _Motacilla melanope_, Pallas. French, "Bergeronette
jaune."--The Grey Wagtail is by no means common in the Islands, though
it may occasionally remain to breed, as I have seen it both in Guernsey
and Sark between the 21st of June and the end of July in 1866, but I
have not seen it in any of the Islands during the autumn. It is,
however, no doubt an occasional, though never very numerous, winter
visitant, probably more common, however, at this time of year than in
the summer, as I have one in winter plumage shot in Guernsey in
December, and another in January, 1879, and there is also one in the
Museum in winter plumage.

Professor Ansted includes it in his list, and marks it as occurring in
Guernsey and Sark.

54. YELLOW WAGTAIL. _Motacilla raii_, Bonaparte. French, "Bergeronnette
flaveole."--As far as I have been able to judge the Yellow Wagtail is
only an occasional visitant on migration. A few, however, may sometimes
remain to breed. I have one Channel Island specimen killed in Guernsey
the last week in March. Mr. MacCulloch, however, writes me word that in
some years they--_i.e._, Yellow Wagtails--are not very uncommon, but of
late, for some reason or other, Wagtails of all sorts have become rare.
He adds--"I am under the impression that we have more than one Yellow
Wagtail." It is, therefore, possible that the Greyheaded Wagtail, the
true _Motacilla flava_ of Linnaeus, may occasionally occur, or in
consequence of the bright yellow of portions of its plumage the
last-mentioned species--the Grey Wagtail--may have been mistaken for a
second species of Yellow Wagtail. I have not myself seen the Yellow
Wagtail in either of the Islands during my summer visits in 1866, 1876,
or 1878; so it certainly cannot be very common during th