MOTACILLINJE. 





Motacilla Linn* 



Bill moderate, straight, and slender, with the culmen slightly curved, and the sides much compressed 

 to the tip, which is emarginated, the lateral margins nearly straight and mflexed, and the gonys long 

 and ascending ; the nostrils lateral, with the opening oval and partly concealed by a membrane. Wings 

 lengthened and pointed ; with the first quill almost as long as the second and third, which are equal and 

 longest. Tail very long, generally even, but sometimes forked. Tarsi longer than the middle toe, 

 slender, and covered in front with slightly divided scales. Toes moderate ; with the lateral toes nearly 

 equal, the outer one slightly united at its base ; the hind toe long, and armed with a long more or less 

 curved claw. 



The species of this genus are found in most parts of the world. They frequent banks of rivers, moors, and meadows 

 that are occasionally overflowed, plains, and open places ; often wadii g in the shallow streams and pools of water 

 up to the knee, while in pursuit of their food, which consists of small insects, larva?, and worms. They are in continual 

 motion, either running with great rapidity, or flying for a trifling distance near the surface of the ground, while 

 capturing their food on the wing. They migrate at certain seasons of the year, and their flight is interrupted and per- 

 formed by jerks. It is in a heap of stones upon the ground that the female forms her nest, though sometimes she 

 selects holes on the top of a decayed tree. The nest is composed of moss, fibres of roots, and grass, intermixed with 

 wool and lined with hair. The eggs are usually five or six in number. 



1. M. alba Linn. PL enl. 6.52. — Motacilla albeola Pall, Gould, 

 B. of Eur. pi. 143. ; M. cinerea Bodd. PI. enl. 674. f. 1. 



2. ? M. YarreUii Gould, B. of Eur. pi. 141. 



3. M. lugubris Temra. Man. d'Orn. i. 253. — Motacilla albeola 

 var. Pall. Gould, B. of Eur. pi. 142. ; M. lugens ///. Kittl. Kupf. 

 Vog. t. 21. f. 1.; M. leucoptera Vigors, Krusentr. Voy. t. 85. 



4. M. luzoniensis Scop. Sonn. Voy. t. 29. — Motacilla leucopsis 

 Gould ; M. alboides Hodgs. ; M. Hodgsoni Bl. ; M. dukhunensis 

 Sykes. 



5. M. madaraspatensis Gmel. 



6. M. capensis Linn. PI. enl. 28. f. 2., Levaill. Ois. d'Afr. t. 178. 

 177., Kittl. Kupf. Vog. t. 21. f. 2 Motacilla afra Gmel. 



7. M. longicauda Riipp. Faun. Abyss. Ois. t. 29. f. 2. 



8. M. indica Gmel. — Motacilla variegata Vieill. ; M. picata 

 Frankl. Levaill. Ois. d'Afr. t. 179- 



9. M. carulescens Lath. Lamb. Icon. ined. ii. 59- 



10. M. boarula Perm. Brit. Zool. i. 492., Edwards's Birds, pi. 

 259., PL enl. 2S. f. 1. — Motacilla sulphurea Bechst.; M. melanope 

 Pall. ; Type of Calobates Kaup (1829 j. 



11. M. citreola Pall. It. iii. p. 696. — Motacilla citrinella Pull. 

 Gould, B. of Eur. pi. 144. : M. sheltobriuschka Lepech, Iter. ii. 

 t. 8. f. 1. ; M. aureocapilla Less. ; M. calcarata Hodgs. 



12. M. campestris Pall. — Motacilla flava Ray, Gould, B. of 

 Eur. pi. 145. ; M. flaveola Temm. ; Budytes Rayi Pr. Bonap. 



13. M. flava Linn. PL enl. 6'74. f. 2., Edwards's Birds, pi. 258., 

 Gould, B. of Eur. pi. 14C. — Motacilla flaveola Pall. ; M. neglecta 

 Gould ; M. boarula Itntt, ; M. Feideggii Michael. ; Budytes beema 

 Sylces ; M. chrysogastra Bechst. ; Type of Budytes Cuv. (181 7). 



14. ? M. cinereocapilla Savi. 



15. ? M. melanocephala Savi, Riipp. Zool. Atlas, t. 33. f. 6., 

 Fauna Pontica, Aves, t. 2. 



16. M. viridis Gmel. Brown's Illustr. pi. 33. 



Enicurus Temm.f 



Bill rather long, slightly depressed at the base, and straight, with the culmen mostly straight, but 

 suddenly curved at the tip, Avhich is emarginated, the sides much compressed, the lateral margins 

 straight and indexed, and the gonys long and ascending ; the nostrils lateral and placed in a broad groove, 



* Linnsus established this genus in 1735. It embraces Budytes of Cuvier (1817), and Calobates of Dr. Kaup (1829). 

 t M. Temminck established this genus in 182- ? 



