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Still the reindeer frequents it for its lichens, and on the drier slopes of the moraine deposits four species of lemming, hunted by the Canis lagopus, find quarters. Two species of the white partridge, the lark, one Plectrophanes, two or three species of Sylvia, one Phylloscopus, and the Motacilla must be added. Numberless aquatic birds, however, visit it for breeding purposes.
Of Ambulatores we met some, of the genera Cassicus, Motacilla, Muscicapa, Pyrgita, Saxicola, Cotile; of birds of prey, Percnopterus Jota Mol., and two buzzards; of Grallatores, two kinds of Hæmatopus, both with white legs, the one with a black body, as H. niger is described by Quoy and Gaimard, the other more similar to the European; a Vanellus with spurs to the wings, Numenius, Scolopax, Phalaropus, Ardea Nycticorax; and lastly a small bird with remarkably short legs, digitated, and with a short thick bill, frequenting the sea-shore, and feeding on seeds of Rumex and Polygonum, and constituting a new species, which may be called Thinocorus.
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.
The Pied Wagtail has probably been better known to some of my readers as Motacilla Yarrellii, but, according to the rules of nomenclature before alluded to, Motacilla lugubris of Temminck seems to have superseded the probably better-known name of Motacilla Yarrellii.
YELLOW WAGTAIL. Motacilla raii, Bonaparte. French, "Bergeronnette flavéole." 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.
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. GREY WAGTAIL. Motacilla melanope, Pallas. French, "Bergeronette jaune."
MacCulloch has also noticed this growing scarcity of the Pied Wagtail, as he writes to me "Of late years, for some reason or other, Wagtails of all sorts have become rare." In the summer of 1866, however, I found the Pied Wagtail tolerably common. It is included in Professor Ansted's list, and marked as occurring in Guernsey and Sark. WHITE WAGTAIL. Motacilla alba, Linnaeus.
It is included in Professor Ansted's list, and marked as occurring in Guernsey; and there is one specimen in the Museum. PIED WAGTAIL. Motacilla lugubris, Temminck. French, "Bergeronette Yarrellii."
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