[ 39 4 3
G e n u s XL. W A G T A I L .
N° i. White W.
Var. A. Collared W.
2. PiedW.
3. Cinereous W.
4. GreyW.
Var. A. Javan W.
5. Indian W.
N° 6. Yellow W.
Var. A. Timor W .
7. Yellow-headed W.
8. Cape W.
9. African W.
10. 'Tchutfchi W.
11. Green W.
BI L L weak and (lender; (lightly notched at the tip.
Tongue lacerated at the end.
Legs (lender.
Birds of this genus frequent the Tides of brooks: have long
tails, which are frequently in motion: their pace running:.for
the molt part fly in an undulating manner, efpecially if to any
didance: feldom perch, and have a twittering noife in flight * :
make the ned on or very near the ground.
I believe the whole of this genus is confined to the old continent,
and the ides adjacent.
* Sccfolu—I have frequently obferved this in our fpecies.
Motacilla
w a g t a i l .. 395
Motacilla alba, Lift. Syß. i. p. 331. N° 11.— Faun. Suee. 252.— Scop. ann. i.
N® 224.— Brun. N° 271.— Muller, N° 272.— Kram. el. p. 373. N° 1.
. — Frifch. t. 23. f. 4.— Olina, pi. in p. 43.— GeorgiReife, p. 174.
La Lavandière, Brif. orn, iii. 461. N° 38.— Buf. oif. v. p. 251. pi. 14. f. 1.——
PI. enl. 652. f. i.— Variety, f. 2.
White Water-Wagtail, Rail Syn. 75. A. 1.— Will. orn. p. 237.— Albin, î.
pi. 49.— Br, Zool. i. N° 142. pi. 55.— Arä. Zool.
Br. Mu/. Lev. Muf.
t jp H E length of this fpecies is feven inches, of which the
tail is one half. The bill is black : irides hazel: the hind
part of the head, and nape of the neck, are black : the forehead,
round the eyes, and fides of the neck, are white : the chin, fore
part of the neck, and bread, black: the upper parts of the
body, wing coverts, and rump, are cinereous: greater wing
coverts, and fecondary quills, dufky, edged with grey: greater
quills blacki(h; the fecondaries and prime quills nearly of a
length : the lower parts of the bread and belly are white : the
eight middle tail feathers are black, edged with grey; the others
are white, except at the bad, and tips of the inner webs, which
are dufky: the legs are black.
In the female the top of the head inclines to brown.
Some birds have only a crefcent of black on the bread, the
SglrE and throat being quite white.
Thefe birds frequent watery places for the mod part, feeding
on flies and other infefls. Make their ned on the ground, com-
pofed of dry'grafs, fine fibres of foots, and mofs, lined within
with hair or feathers. The eggs are five in number, white,
fpotted with brown ; and for the mod part have only one brood
ip a year. It is often feen running on the ground, which it does
3 E 2 very
1.
+• WHITE W.
D escription.
Female.
Place and
Manners.