162 MOTACILLIN^E. BUDYTES. 



Grey Wagtail. Yellow Wagtail. 



Motacilla Boarula, Linn. Mant. 527. Motacilla Boarula, 

 Temra. Man. d'Ornith. i. 257. Motacilla Boarula, Grey-and- 

 Yellow Wagtail, MacGillivray, Brit. Birds, ii. 235. 



GENUS LII. BUDYTES. QUAKETAIL. 



The Quaketails are distinguished from the Wagtails chiefly 

 by having the tail shorter, and the claws less arched and 

 longer, that of the hind toe especially being much elongated. 



Bill of moderate length, slender, straight, broader than 

 high at the base, compressed toward the end ; upper man- 

 dible with the dorsal line slightly declinate at the base, very 

 slightly declinato-arcuate toward the end, the ridge narrow 

 at the base, the edges slightly inflected, the notches very 

 slight, the tip narrow and rounded ; lower mandible with 

 the dorsal line straight, the edges inflected, the tip acute. 

 Tongue sagittate and papillate at the base, very slender, ta- 

 pering to a slit point ; oasophagus of moderate width ; pro- 

 ventriculus oblong ; stomach a gizzard of considerable power, 

 oblong, compressed, its muscular coat thick, the epithelium 

 dense, and slightly rugous ; intestine short, of moderate 

 width ; coeca very small, cylindrical. Nostrils small, ellip- 

 tical, pervious. Eyes of moderate size. Aperture of ear 

 large, elliptical. Head ovato-oblong, small, narrow ; neck 

 rather short ; body ovate, slender. Feet of ordinary length, 

 slender ; tarsus much compressed, with eight anterior scu- 

 tella ; toes of moderate length, much compressed, the first 

 large, the lateral about equal, the third and fourth united at 

 the base; claws long, extremely compressed, laterally grooved, 

 slightly arched, that of the hind toe very long. Plumage soft 

 and blended ; bristles extremely small ; wings long, of eigh- 

 teen quills, the first three nearly equal, one of the inner se- 

 condaries very long ; tail long, slender, rounded. 



These birds form the transition from the Wagtails to the 

 Pipits, which belong to the family of Alaudinae. They feed 

 on insects and larvae ; frequent open pastures, moist mea- 

 dows, and ploughed fields, run with great celerity, often pur- 

 sue insects on wing, and have a rapid undulated flight. 



