438 MOTACILLimE. 



Mr. Gould very clearly proved, what appears never to 

 have been even suspected before, that the M. flava of 

 English authors was not only a different bird from the M . 

 flava of continental authors, but that our very common 

 Yellow Wagtail was in fact as rare a bird, and as little 

 known on the Continent, as the M. flava of the Continent 

 was rare here. Those who contend that the trivial name 

 given by the first describer of a species ought ever to 

 remain unchanged, will still consider that our well-known 

 Yellow Wagtail ought to continue to be called M, , flava, 

 while those who consider systematic nomenclature as be- 

 ginning with Linneus, will continue the term flava to the 

 Grey-headed Wagtail of Mr. Gould. 



When the Grey-headed Wagtail was first named in this 

 country, Mr. Gould, supposing this species had been 

 equally overlooked on the Continent, called it Motacilla 

 neglecta ; but further communication with continental 

 Ornithologists convincing him that it was the true M. flava 

 of Linneus, and subsequently of continental authors, it 

 became necessary that the term neglecta should be dropped 

 in favour of that vt flava, which it had so long borne; 

 and it was then considered that justice would also be done 

 to Ray's original notice of our yellow bird, if it was in 

 future to be called Ray's Wagtail. I have reason to be- 

 lieve that the application of the term Rayi, as appropri- 

 ated to this bird in the Comparative List of the Prince of 

 Musignano, had Mr. Gould's concurrence. 



The first British specimen of this bird, obtained in Oc- 

 tober, 1834, on Walton Cliffs, near Colchester, was shot by 

 Mr. Henry Doubleday ; two birds were together, and his 

 attention was drawn to them by observing a pair so late in 

 the season, and so long after our common Yellow Wagtail 

 leaves this country. Only one of the two was secured. 



In the first volume of the Magazine of Zoology and 



