Book II. O^^IT HO LO QY. 237 



This Bird is very like the Ficedula above defcribed, yet differs in fome particulars, 

 especially that the outmoft feathers of the Tail in this are white 3 whereas in that the 

 Tail is all of one colour. 



Among the doubtful birds of this kind, at lead: to us not fufficiently known, we 

 reckon, I. The [mall Nightingale^ Lufiiniola or Roujfette of Bel/on/us, which you 

 may find in Aldrovand, tom.2. pag.ySy. perchance the fame with the Giarola of Al- 

 drovand, having a red Bill, and the colour of the body like a Quail. 2. Qenanthe 

 congener, Aldrov. torn. 2.^.764. $. The other Spipola of Aldrovand. tom.2. p.7%1. 

 the defcription whereof we have already fet down, * p. 153. which perchance may * of 2?j:?*' 

 be the fame with our Spipoletta, or with our Whin-chat, p. 168. 4. Spipola tertia or £ imtti 

 Boarina of Aldrovand, p.7%2. which we have already entred the defcription of, ^.153. 

 5. The Stoparola of Aldrovand, p.732, which you may find alio in pag. 153. of this 

 work. 6. Boarina of Aldrovand, p.73 3. whofe defcription we have fubjoyned to the 

 Ficedula, p. 158. 7. Grifola, which we have annexed to our Spipoletta, pag.i^, 

 8. Anthos or Florm, which we have remembred in our Chapter of Oenanthe^ 

 pag. 16$. 



Thefe, and fome other birds, comprehended by Aldrovandus in three Chapters, 

 w's.twenty fixth,twenty feventh,and twenty eighth of the feventeenth Book,under the 

 titles of Spipols, StoparoU, and M.ufcicap<e, feem to us reducible to three or four 

 Species, viz. to the White-throat, or Moucherolle or Pajjer rubi, ( for Bellonius his Mou~ 

 cherolle is perchance another fort of bird ) and the Beccafigo or Black-cap. 



Chap. XVII. 

 The Water-Wagtail 5 Motacilla 3 in Greek Sawny*- 



§. I. 



The white Wagtail: Motacilla alba. 



THis Bird is every where Co well known, that it may feem enough to name f% 

 not needing any defcription. It weighs fix drachms, being in length from the 

 point of the Bill to the end of the Tail feven inches three quarters - in 

 breadth between the extremities of the Wings ftretcht out eleven. The Bill is flen- 

 der, not an inch long, (harp-pointed, and black. The Tongue cloven, and as ,it 

 were torn : The Mouth within black : The Irides of the Eyes hazel-coloured : The 

 Feet, Toes, and Claws long, and of a dark blackifh colour. The back-claw very 

 long, as in Larks . The outer Toe at its rife flicks fait to the middle one. • White 

 feathers encompafs the upper Chap of the; Bill, then the Eyes, being produced on 

 both fides almoft to the Wingsi The Crown of the Head, upper and lower fide of 

 the Neck, as far as the Breaft, and the Back are- black : The Breaft and Belly white. 

 The middle of the Back from black inclines to cinereous : The Rump is black. [_ In 

 another Bird, below the Throat I obferved a femicircular black fpot like a Crefcent, 

 the horns being produced almoft as far as the Jaws. ] The Wings fpread are of a fe- 

 micircular figure 5 the quil-feathers in each eighteen in number, of which the three 

 outmoft end infharp points : The tips of the middle ones are blunt and indented ? 

 the inmoft are adorned with white lines. The covert feathers of the firft row are 

 black, having their tips and edges white : Thofe of the fecond row have only white 

 tips. Its Tail is very long,of about three inches and an half, which it almoft continually 

 wags up and down, whence alfoit took its name. The Tail hath twelve feathers, of 

 which the two middlemoft are longer than the reft, and Iharp-pointed £ the others 

 all of equal length : The outmoft are almoft wholly white, the reft black. The co- 

 lour of the Plumage in this kind in feveral birds varies not a little, being in fome more 

 cinereous, in fome blacker. The Liver is of a pale colour. 



It is much converfant about the brinks of Rivers, and Pools, and other watry 

 places, where it catches Flies, and water Infects : Moreover it follows the Plough, to 

 gather up the Worms, which together with the earth it turns up ; As I find mMdro- 

 vandus., and our Husbandmen have told me of their own obfervation j who therefore 

 call it the Seed-bird, as Mr. Johnfon informed me. 



In the Northern part of England it appears not in the Winter, and isalfo then more 



rare 



