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The Water-Wagtail. Motacilla Alba;
Numb. XLIX.
IT S Length, from the tip of the Bill to the end of the Tail, feven
Inches and three quarters; Breadth, when the Wings are extended,
eleven Inches; weight fix Drams. The Bill is ftreight, flender, iharp
pointed, and black, not an Inch long; the Tongue cloven, the Mouth
black within. The Irides of the Eyes hazel coloured: The Feet, Toes
and Claws long, iharp pointed and blackiih; the Back-Claw very long
as in Larks. A white'Spot from the Bill encompafles the Eyes and fides
of the Throat, the top of the Head, upper and lower Side of the Neck,
as far as the Breaft and Back, are black: The Breaft and Belly white.
The Wings,whenfpread,are of afemicircular Figure; the quill Feathers
of each Wing are eighteen in number, of which the three outermoft end
in iharp Points; the tips of the middle ones are blunt and indented; the
inmoft are adorned with white Lines; the covert Feathers of the firft
Row are black, having their Tips and Edges white: Thofe of the fecond
Row have only white Tips.
Its Tail is about three Inches and a half long, which it almoftcon-
tinually wags up and down, from whence it took its Name. The Tail
hath twelve Feathers, of which the two middlemoft are longer than the
reft, and iharp pointed; the others all of equal Length ; the outermoft are
almoft wholly white, the reft black. Thefe Bifd? differ in Colour very
much, fome being more cinereous and fame blacker.
It frequents Pools and watry places •, its Food is Flies and IViter lnfeBsy
Worms and fmall Beetles.
It is faid the Cuckow-Chicken is hatched and brought up by this Bird.
See Albertus in the Chapter of the Cuckow.