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'll. An Account of an Englilh -Bird of the Genus Motacilla, 
fuppofed to be hitherto unnoticed by Britilh Ornithologies ; 
obferved by the Rev,. John Light foot, M. A. F, R. S. In a 
Letter to Sir Jofeph Banks, Bart. P. R. S. 
Read November 18, 1784* 
SIR, Uxbridge, Nov. 20, 1783. 
A S every difcovery in natural hiftory is efleemed worthy the 
notice of that Society which was inftituted on purpofe to 
improve natural knowledge, I have taken the liberty to fencl 
you a defcription and drawing of a bird which haunts the 
reeds of the river Coin, in the neighbourhood of JJxbridge, 
.i • tv- 
and which feems to have hitherto efcaped the notice of writers 
on Britilh Ornitiiology ; and therefore fome account and de- 
fcription of it will not, I tru ft, be unacceptable to the Society 
over which you fo laudably prefide. 
The neft and eggs of the bird I am about to defcribe firft 
attracted my attention, and led to the difcovery of the bird 
itfelf. They were repeatedly brought by a fhherman on the 
Uxbridge river, in the parilh of Denham, to her grace the 
Duchefs Dowager of Portland, who fir ft communicated them 
to me. They were fuppofed by the filherman to belong to the 
Sedge-bird of Penn ant, or Motacilla Salicaria of LiNNiEus ; but 
being well acquainted with the neft and eggs of this, I was very 
fure he was miftaken, though he adtually produced this bird as 
the true proprietor of the fubjedts in queftion. The frudtuie 
and pofition of the nefl having a lingular appearance, and both 
