49. LONG-TAILED TIT. Acredula caudata, Linnaeus. French, "Másange à longue queue."[[10]]—The Long-tailed Tit is certainly far from common in Guernsey at present, and I have never seen it in the Islands myself. But Mr. MacCulloch writes me word—"The Long-tailed Tit is, or at least was, far from uncommon. Probably the destruction of orchards may have rendered it less common. The nest was generally placed in the forked branch of an apple-tree, and so covered with grey lichens as to be almost indistinguishable. I remember, in my youth, finding a nest in a juniper-bush."

It is included in Professor Ansted's list, and marked as occurring in Guernsey and Sark. There is, however, no specimen now in the Museum.

I am very doubtful as to whether I ought to include the Bearded Tit, Panurus biarmicus of Linnaeus, in this list. There are a pair in the Museum, but these may have been obtained in France or England. One of Mr. De Putron's men, however, described a bird he had shot in the reeds in Mr. De Putron's pond in the Vale, and certainly his description sounded very much as if it had been a Bearded Tit; but the bird had been thrown away directly after it was shot, and there was no chance of verifying the description.

50. WAXWING. Ampelis garrulus, Linnaeus. French, "Jaseur de Bohême," "Grand Jaseur."—As would seem probable from its occasional appearance in nearly every county in England, the Waxwing does occasionally make its appearance in Guernsey as a straggler. I have never seen it myself, but Mr. MacCulloch writes me word—"I have known the Bohemian Waxwing killed here on several occasions, but have not the date."

An interesting account of the nesting habits of this bird, and the discovery of the nests and eggs by Mr. Wolley, was published by Professor Newton in the 'Ibis' for 1861, and will be found also in Dresser's 'Birds of Europe.' and in the new edition of 'Yarrell,' by Professor Newton.

It is included in Professor Ansted's list, and marked as occurring in Guernsey; and there is one specimen in the Museum.

51. PIED WAGTAIL. Motacilla lugubris, Temminck. French, "Bergeronette Yarrellii."[[11]]—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Yarrellii, but, according to the rules of nomenclature before alluded to, Motacilla lugubris of Temminck seems to have superseded the probably better-known name of Motacilla Yarrellii.

For some reason or other the Pied Wagtail has grown much more scarce in Guernsey than it used to be; at one time it was common even about the town, running about by the gutters in the street, and several were generally to be seen on the lawn at Candie. But this last summer—that of 1878—I did not see one about Candie, or indeed anywhere else, except one pair which were breeding near the Vale Church; and when there in November, 1875, I only saw one, and that was near Vazon Bay. Mr. 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.

52. WHITE WAGTAIL. Motacilla alba, Linnaeus. French, "Lavendière," "Hoche-queue grise," "Bergeronette grise."—The White Wagtail is still scarcer than the Pied, but I saw one pair evidently breeding between L'ancresse Road and Grand Havre. The White Wagtail so much resembles the Pied Wagtail, that it may have been easily overlooked, and may be more common than is generally known.