MOTACILLID.K THE WAGTAILS. 



16"] 



siBFAMiiY MOTACILLIN^ 



Oenus MOTACILLA, Linn. 



Motacilla, Linn. Syst. Nat. (TyiH-, MoUicilla albn.) 



Tlie (liajriiosis already uiven of Motticillu will serve to define it. Tlu^ 

 genus is an Old World one, represented by several species, only one of which 

 (J/, alhu) is entitled to a place here from occurring in Greenland. 



Motacilla alba, Linn. 



WHITE WAGTAIL. 



MoUicillii idhi,, Linn. Syst. Nut. I'itli mL 17(>0, :J:31. —Keys. & Blas. "\Viil». Europ. 1840, 

 xUx, and 174. — Dkulaxd, Orn. Eiiioi». L ls4y, 4:53. — Rkinhakdt, Ibis, 1861, 6 

 (Grfeiilan.l). — Nkwton, Haring-GouM's livlaiul, 18G:3, \\)\}. ("rather pli-ntiful"). — 

 BAiitn, K.>v. Am. H. ISfU, l.o2. 



Figim* : Gould, Binls EurDix', 143. 



Sp. Ciiah. (JX410 (J, Nurnlx'iy). Ftirchead as far back as abovo tho e\'os, with si(h'S 

 of head and mrk, white ; the remaining portion of head and neek above and below 

 to the jngnhnn, Uack ; the rest 

 of under parts white. Up- 

 per parts ashy-gray, including 

 rump ; the upper tail-coverts 

 tinged with black. "Wings 

 with two conspicuous bands 

 and the outer ed^'cs of the sec- 

 ondaries white. Tail-feathers 

 black ; the outei- two white, 

 edged with black internally. 

 Bill and legs black. Ti[) of 

 winjjf formed by outer three 

 j)rimaries ; the distance be- 

 tween the third and fourth 

 about one third that between 



the fourth and fifth. Tarsi lenjrthened ; claw small ; hintl toe and claw shorter than the 

 middle, its claw short, considerably curved, less than the toe alone ; lateral toes nearly 

 equal. Lt'ugth, 7.30 ; wing, 3.45 ; tail, 3.90 ; bill from nostril, .37 ; tarsus, .80; lund toe 

 and claw, .50. 



IIab. (\)ntinental Ein-op(\ rarer in Enirland; Iceland; ( J reenland (only two spet'imens 

 seen); Siberia; Syria; Nubia, etc. 



MotaciUa yarrrUi, a closely allied species, by some considered a variety 

 only, differs in having the rump black, the ashy of the back glossed with 

 blackish, t'<nd with the black edging of the lateral tail-feathers broader. 



Habits. The common White Wagtail of P^urope claims a place in the 



Motarlfln alba. 



