Wagtail. INSESSORES. MOTACILLA. 251 



sometimes of considerable length. Wings having the first 

 quill very short ; the second the longest in the wing ; and 

 one of the scapulars being as long as the quills. Tail very 

 long, and generally square at the end. 



The members of this well-marked genus are very active 

 birds ; and haunt the banks of rivulets, the pebbled margins 

 of rivers, and extensive meadows in the neighbourhood of 

 water. Their progressive motion is by running. They feed 

 on insects, taken both on the ground and on wing ; also on 

 worms and larvae. They are subject to a double (that is, 

 autumnal and vernal) moult ; the latter of which changes the 

 colour of the neck, and, in some species, the head of the bird. 

 They are confined to the Old Continent. 



The lengthened tail of this genus is kept in continual mo- 

 tion perpendicularly, accompanied by a lateral (or horizontal) 

 expansion of the feathers. 



PIED WAGTAIL. 



MoTACiLLA ALBA, Linn. 

 PLATE XLIX. Fig. 1. 



Motacilla alba, Linn. Syst. 1. p. 331. 11 Gmel. Sjst. 1. p. 960. sp. 11 



Lath. Ind. Oniith. v. 2. p. 501. sp. 1. and var. B. and Y. — Raii Syn. 



p. 75. A. 1 — Will. p. 171. t. 42 — Briss. 3. p. 461. 38. 

 La Lavandiere, Buff. Ois. v. 5. p. 251. t. 14. f. 1 Id. PL EnL 652. f. 1. 



male in spring plumage. 

 Bergeronette grise, Temm. Man. d'Omith. v. 1. p. 255. 

 Weise Bachstelze, Meyer, Tasschenb. Deut. v. 1. p. 216. — Id. Vog. Deut. 



Heft. 3. male, female, and voung. 

 White Wagtail, Br. Zool. I.'No. 142. t. 55 Arct. ZooL 2. p. 396. B 



Will. (Ang.) p. 237 — Lath. Syn. 4. p. 395. 1 Id. Sup. p. 178 LeiuirCs 



Br. Birds, 3. t. 95 Wale. Syn. 2. t. 226 Mont. Ornith. Diet Pult. 



Cat. Dorset, p. 8 Bewick'' s Br. Birds, t. p. 194 Shatv's Zool. v. 10. 



p. 545. 



PaovisrciAL — Pied Wagtail, Black and White Wagtail, Dishwasher, 



Washer-woman. 



This lively bird is well known, and very generally distri- 

 buted throughout Great Britain, being found, during its po- 



