Mr» Lightfoot''s Account of a new Englifli Bird, ^ 



that and the eggs belonghig to a bird unknown to me, I became 

 defirous of finding out the fccret architect, and to that end made 

 life of fuch means as I thought mod likely to promote the? 

 difcovery. 



Ill a fhort time my expedations were gratified ; for on the 

 26th day of July, 1783, intelligence was brought me, that 

 fuch a neil: as I wanted was found. I had given pre- 

 vious direction, that it fliould not be diiturbed before I had 

 leen it. Upon examination, I inflantly perceived it to be of 

 the fame kind and flru£lure with that under enquiry, contain- 

 ing two eggs, and two young ones juft excluded from the fhell. 

 One of the old birds was fitting at this time upon the neft, 

 which a perfon in company attempting to feize, it flew at him 

 with fo much refentment and acrimony, as to draw blood from 

 the hand that dared to moleft its inflinclive operations. Both 

 the parent birds continued hovering about their neft with much 

 watchful care and anxiety, while I made feveral attempts to 

 take them alive ; but, finding all endeavours in vain, left I 

 (hould lofethe opportunity of examining them with accuracy, 

 I at length, with relu£lance, caufed them to be (liot. From 

 thefe fpecimens the following defcriptions were made, which, 

 with an accurate drawing of one of them, together with its 

 neft and egg, are humbly fubmitted to your notice. 



From the generic chara(9:ers delivered by LinnjEus, our bird 

 m^ft evidently be reduced to the family of his Motacilh, for it 

 has a weak, flender, fubulate bill, almofi: ftraight ; the man- 

 dibles nearly equal ; the noftrils oval and naked, or not covered 

 with briftles ; the tongue lacerated at the extremity ; the legs 

 {lender; the toes divided to the origin, except that the exterior 

 one is joined, at the under part of the lafl joint, to the middle 

 toe ; the claws of nearly equal length. 



Vol. LXXV. " C The 



