68 NATURAL HISTORY '[Birds. 



others ; the throat white ; the breast spotted, on a yellowish 

 ground ; the legs very slender, the claw on the hind toe, as in 

 the others, long ; the tail dusky, edged with white. 



GENUS XIII. WAGTAILS. 



Gen. Char. Bill weak and slender ; tongue lacerated at the end ; legs slender. 



Species. The White Wagtail. 



Wil Orn. 237. Rail Syn. Av. 75. Motacilla Alba, Lin. Sys. 331. Brit. 

 Zool. 275. Brit. Zool Illus. tab. 62. 



THIS is one of the (with us) migratory small birds ; it comes 

 early in the spring, builds in holes of walls, and when this is 

 over immediately retires. Its constant haunts are near watery 

 places, where it feeds on flies and other insects, and constantly 

 attends the plough to pick up small worms. 



The white water-wagtail continues the shortest time with 

 us of any of the migratory birds which build here ; I cannot 

 condescend on the exact time of their departure, but have 

 never seen one after May. 



It is a very beautiful bird ; the colours, though not many, 

 are bright ; the face and sides of the head are white ; the back 

 of the head, back, and throat, to the breast, are black ; breast 

 (in some) and belly white ; the wings are striped with white, 



