MOTACILLA. WAGTAIL. 219 



except in its anterior portion. Eyes of moderate size ; eyelids 

 feathered, with a narrow, bare, crenate margin. External aper- 

 ture of the ear large, transversely OA'al. 



The general form is remarkably slender, the body ovate, the 

 neck of moderate length, the head ovato-oblong, small, and nar- 

 row. The feet of ordinary length, slender ; the tarsus much 

 compressed, anteriorly covered with seven scutella, sharp be- 

 hind. Toes of moderate length, much compressed ; the first 

 large, narrow beneath ; the second and fourth about equal ; the 

 third much longer, united to the fourth as far as the second 

 joint. Claws rather long, arched, laterally channelled, extreme- 

 ly compressed, tapering to a fine point, laterally grooved, that 

 of the hind toe much longer. 



Plumage soft, blended ; the feathers oblong, rounded, with 

 loose barbs, and slender plumules consisting of a few long fila- 

 ments. The frontal feathers encroach on the nasal membrane, 

 and are very short and roundish. No bristle feathers along the 

 base of the upper mandible in adult birds, although in young 

 individuals they exist, but are very small. The wings are 

 long, broad, and rather pointed, of eighteen quills, of which 

 nine are primary, the first three nearly equal and longest ; the 

 secondaries very long, one of them nearly as long as the outer 

 primaries when the wing is closed ; the inner primaries and 

 outer secondaries emarginate. Tail very long, straight, slender, 

 rounded, of twelve narrow, weak feathers. 



The Wagtails are very intimately allied to the Pipits, from 

 which they diifer chiefly in having the tail much more elon- 

 gated, and the claws shorter, wdiile at the same time the colours 

 of their plumage are more beautiful, and disposed in uniform 

 masses. Their bill is almost precisely similar to that of the 

 Saxicolse and Sylviae, and is scarcely distinguishable from that 

 of the Antlii. 



The birds of this and the preceding genus are remarkable for 

 their peculiarly slender and elegant form, and for the vibratory 

 motion which their body exhibits while they are standing or 

 walking. In this respect they resemble the Pipits and Totani, as 

 well as some other genera, but their tail being so much more 

 elongated, the motion in question is more observable in them 



