Mr, Lightfoot's Account of a new Englifh Bird, ^ 

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

 defirous of finding out the fecret architeft, and to that end made 

 life of fuch means as I thought moft likely to promote the 

 difcovery. 



In a fliort time my expectations were gratified ; for on the 

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

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

 vious direction, that it fhould not be difturbed before I had 

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

 the fame kind and ftrudure with that under enquiry, contain- 

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

 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 molefl its inllindive operations. Both 

 the parent birds continued hovering about their neil: with much 

 watchful care and anxiety, while I made feveral attempts to 

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

 ihould lofe the opportunity of examining them w'ith accuracy, 

 I at length, with relu6lance, caufed them to be fliot. From 

 thefe fpecimens the following defcriptions were made, which, 

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

 nefl and egg, are humbly fubmitted to your notice. 



From the generic chara«£lers delivered by Linnaeus, our bird 

 muft evidently be reduced to the family of his MotacUla^ for it 

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

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

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

 flender ; 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 



