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J I. .In Accoimt of an Engllfli Bird of the Genus Motacllk, 

 fuppofed to be hitherto unnoticed by Britifli Ornithologijis ; 

 obferved by the Rev, John Llghtfoot, M. A, F. R, S. In a 

 J ,etter io Sir Joieph Banks, Bart. P. R. S. 



Read November 1 8, 1784. 



SIR, Uxbridge, Nov. 20, 1783. 



AS every dilcovery in natural hiftory is efteemed worthy the 

 notice of that Society which was inftitiited on purpofe to 

 improve natural knowledge, I have taken the liberty to fend 

 you a defcription and drawing of a bird which haunts the 

 reeds of the river Coin, in the neighbourhood of Uxbridge, 

 and wliich feems to have hitherto efcaped the notice of writers 

 on Britifh Ornithology; and therefore fome account and de- 

 fcription of it will not, I trud:, be unacceptable to the Society 

 over which you lb laudably prefide. 



The neft and eggs of the bird I am about to defcribe firjd: 

 attrafted my attention, and led to the difcovery of the bird 

 itfelf. They were repeatedly brought by a fifherman on the 

 Uxbridge river, in the parifh of Denham, to her grace the 

 Duchefs Dowager of Portland, who firft communicated them 

 to me. They were fuppofed by the fiflierman to belong to the 

 Sedge-bird of Pennant, or MotacilU Salicaria of Li N n^eu s ; but 

 being well acquainted with the nefl and eggs of this, I was very 

 fure he was miftaken, though he actually produced this bird as 

 the true proprietor of the fubje6ls in queftion. The flru6lure 

 and pofition of the nefb having a fingular appearance, and both 



that 



