278 AVEs. 



longer only near the tip. The female has only twelve ordinary 



quills. 



This singular species, Msenura lyra, Vieill. Ois. de Par. pi. 

 xiv, XV, and Gal. 192, Sh. Nat. Misc. 577, inhabits the rocky 

 districts of New Holland; its size is somewhat less than that 

 of the Pheasant. 



MOTACILLA, Lin. 



The Warblers form an excessively numerous family, known by the 

 beak, which is straight, slender, and similar to a bodkin. When 

 slightly depressed at base, it approaches that of the Flycatchers; 

 when compressed, and its point is curved a little, it leads to the 

 straight beaked Shrikes. An endeavour has been made to divide 

 them as follows: 



Saxicola, Bechst.(l) 



The beak a little depressed, and rather broad at base, which partic- 

 ularly allies these birds to the last small tribe of the Flycatchers. 

 They are lively, and stand tolerably high. The French species build 

 on the ground, or under it, and feed exclusively on insects. 



Motacilla rubicola, h.; Le Traquet, Enl. 678; Naum. 90, 3, 1, 

 5. A small brown bird, with a red breast, black throat, and 

 some white on the sides of the neck, on the wing, and on the 

 rump. It is constantly flitting about the bushes, and its weak 

 note resembles the tick-tack of a mill, whence its French name. 

 Mot. ruhetra; Le Tarier^ Enl. 678; Naum. 89, 3, 4. Closely 

 resembles the preceding; but the black is on the cheek instead 

 of under the throat. It is somewhat larger, and keeps more on 

 the ground. France. 



Mot. aeanthe; Le Motteux, Enl. 554; Naum. 89, 1, 2. (The 

 Wheat-Ear.) The rump, and the half of the lateral tail feathers, 

 white. The male is ash coloured above, reddish-white beneath; 

 the vising, and a band over the eye, black. In the female, all is 

 brownish above, and reddish beneath. It is found in the ploughed 

 fields, where it feeds on the worms turned up with the furrow. 

 France. 

 We should distinguish from them, 



Saxicola strapasina, T. ; M. roux, Buff.; Naum. 90, 1, 2. A 

 species from the south of Europe that sometimes visits France. 

 There is a bird in the south of France that should be placed 

 near this species, which is black, the rump, and the two supe- 

 rior thirds of the tail, white, and which has been referred to the 



(1) Vieill. has changed this name to Motteux (^nantbe). 



