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227 
measuring little more than nine inches from 
the nose to the taih Its colours is bright bay, 
white beneath and on the insides of the thighs. 
Its shape is beautiful, and the legs are so slen- 
der as not to exceed the diameter of a swan- 
quill ; the head is rather large, and the aspect 
mild. It is a native of many parts of the East 
Indies and the Indian islands, and is said to be 
most common in Java, where the natives catch 
great numbers in snares, and carry them to 
the markets in their cages for sale. Accord- 
ing to Mr. Pennant they may be purchased at 
so low a rate as two pence halfpenny a piece. 
There are three other species. 
MOSQUE, a temple or place of religious 
worship among the Mahometans. 
All mosques are square buildings, gene- 
rally built with stone; before the chief gate 
there is a square court, paved with white 
marble, and Low galleries round it, whose 
roof is supported by marble pillars. la these 
galleries the Turks wash themselves before 
they go into the mosque. In each mosque 
there are a great number of lamps; and be- 
tween these hang many crystal rings, os- 
triches’ eggs, and other curiosities, which, 
-when the lamps are lighted, make a fine shew. 
As it is not lawful to enter the mosques- with 
-shoes or stockings on, the pavements are co- 
vered with pieces of stuff sewed together, 
each being wide enough to hold a row of 
men kneeling, sitting, or prostrate. The 
women are not allowed to enter the mosques, 
but stay in the porches without. About 
every mosque there are six high towers, call- 
ed minarets, each of which has three little 
open galleries, one above another: these 
towers, as well as the mosques, are covered 
with lead, and adorned with gilding and 
other ornaments; and from thence, instead 
of a bell, the people are called to prayer by 
certain officers appointed for that purpose. 
Most of the mosques have a kind of hospital 
belonging to them, in which travellers, of 
what religion soever, are entertained during 
three days. Each mosque -has also a place 
called turbe, which is the burving-place of its 
founders; within which is a tomb six or seven 
feet lo’ng, covered with green velvet or sat- 
in, at the ends of which are two tapers, and 
-round it several seats for those who read the 
koran, and pray for the souls of the deceased. 
MOSS. See Muscus. 
MOTAC1LLA, the wagtail and warbler, 
a genus of birds of the order of passeres, dis- 
tinguished by a straight weak bill of a subu- 
lated figure, a tongue lacerated at the end, 
and very slender legs. 
1. The alba, or white wagtail, frequents 
the sides of ponds and small streams, and 
feeds on insects and worms. The head, back, 
and upper and lower side of the neck as far 
as the breast, are black ; in some the chin is 
white, and the throat marked with a black 
crescent; the breast and belly are white. 
The tail is very long, and always in motion. 
/ Mr. Willughby observed, that" this species 
shifts its quarters in the winter, moving from 
the north to the south of England during that 
season. In spring and autumn it is a constant 
attendant on the plough, for the sake of the 
worms thrown up by that instrument. 
2. The fiava, or" yellow wagtail, migrates 
in the north of England, but m Hampshire 
continues the whole year. The male is a 
"bird of great beauty; the breast, belly, 
M O T 
thighs, and vent-feathers, being of a most | 
vivid and lovely yellow. 1 he colours of the 
female are far more obscure than those ot the 
male: it wants also those black spots on the 
throat. 
3. The regulus, or gold-crested wren, is a 
native of Europe, and of the correspondent 
latitudes of Asia and America. It is the 
least of fill the European birds, weighing only 
a single drachm. Its length is about four 
inches and a half, and the wings when spread 
out measure little more than six inches. 
On the top of its head is a beautiful orange- 
coloured spot, called its crest, which it can 
hide at pleasure; the margins of the crest are 
yellow, a'nd it ends in a pretty broad black 
line; the sides of the neck are of a beautiful 
yellowish-green; the eyes surrounded with a 
white circle ; the neck and back of a dark 
green mixed with yellow. In America it as- 
sociates with the titmice, running up and 
down the bark of lofty oaks with them, and 
collecting its food in their company, as if 
they were all of one brood. It teeds on in- 
sects lodged in the winter dormitories in a 
torpid state. It is said to sing very melodi- 
ously. 
4. The sutoria, or taylor-bird, is a native 
of the East Indies. It is remarkable for the 
art with which it makes its nest, seemingly in 
order to secure itself and its young, in the 
most perfect manner possible, against all 
danger from voracious animals. It picks up 
a dead leaf, and sews it to the side of a living 
one: its slender bill is the needle, and its 
thread is formed of some fine fibres; the lin- 
ing is composed of feathers, gossamer, and 
down. The colour of the bird is light yel- 
low; its length three inches, and its weight 
only three-sixteenths of an ounce; so that 
the materials of the nest and its own size are 
not likely to draw down a habitation depend- 
ing on so slight a tenure. 
5. The lucinia, or nightingale, exceeds in 
size the hedge-sparrow. The bill is brown ; 
the irides are hazel ; the head and back pale 
tawny, dashed with olive ; the tail is of a deep 
tawny red ; the under parts pale ash-colour, 
growing white towards the vent; the quills 
are cinereous brown. The male and female 
are very similar. This bird, the most famed 
of the feathered tribe for the variety, length, 
and sweetness of its notes, is supposed to be 
migratory. It is met with in Siberia, Swe- 
den, Germany, France, Italy, and Greece. 
Hasselquist speaks of it as being in Palestine, 
and Fryer ascertains its being found about 
Chulminor in Persia; it is also spoken of as 
a bird of China, Kamtschatka, and Japan ; at 
which last place they are much esteemed, 
and sell dear; as they are also at Aleppo, 
where they are “ in great abundance kept 
tame in houses, and let out at a small rate to 
such as choose it in the city, so that no enter- 
tainment is made in the spring without a con- 
cert of these birds.” 
They are solitary birds, never uniting into 
even small llocks ;and in respect to the nests, 
it is very seldom that two are found near 
each other. The female builds in some low 
bush or quickset edge, well covered with fo- 
liage, for such only this bird frequents; and 
lays four or five eggs of a greenish-brown. 
The nest is composed of dry leaves on the 
outside, mixed with grass and fibres, lined 
with hair or down within, though not always 
alike. The female alone sits on and hatches 
Ffa- 
he eggs, while the male not far off regales 
ler with his delightful song; but as soon as 
the voung are hatched, he commonly leaves 
off singing, and joins with the female in the 
task of providing for and feeding them. After 
the young, can provide for themselves, the 
old female provides for a second brood, and 
the song of the male recommences. They 
have been known to have three broods in a 
year, and in tiie hot countries even four. 
These birds are often brought up from the 
nest for the sake of their song. They are 
likewise caught at their first coming over; 
and though old birds, yet by management 
can be made to bear confinement, and to sing 
equally with those brought up from the nest. 
None but the vilest epicure, as Mr. Latham 
remarks, would think of eating these charm- 
ing songsters : yet we are told that their llesh 
is equal to that of the ortolan, and they are 
fatted in Gascony for the table. 
6. Ike mode laris, or hedge-sparrow, a 
well-known bird, has the back and wing-co- 
verts of a dusky hue, edged with reddish- 
brown ; rump of a greenish-brow n. ; throat 
and breast of a dull asb-colour ; the belly a 
dirty white;, and the legs of a dull flesh-co- 
lour. The note of this bird would be thought 
pleasant, did it not remind us of the approach 
of winter; beginning with the first frosts, and 
continuing till a little time in spring. Its often 
repeating the word tit, tit, tit, has occasion- 
ed its being called titling; a name it is known 
by in many places. 
" 7. The phoenicurus, or redstart, is some- 
what less than the redbreast ; the forehead 
is white ; the crown of the head, hind part of 
the neck, and back, are deep blue-grey ; the 
cheeks and throat black; the breast, rump, 
and sides, red ; and the belly is white ; the 
two middle tail-feathers are brown ; the rest 
red ; and the legs are black. The wings are 
brown in both sexes. 
This bird is migratory ; coming hither ift 
spring, and departing in autumn about Oc- 
tober. It is not so shy as many birds in re- 
spect to itself ; for it approaches habitations, 
and frequently makes its nest in some hole of 
a wall where numbers of people pass by fre- 
quently; yet it is content, if no one meddles 
with the nest. This bird frequently wags its 
tail ; but does it sideways, like a dog, when 
he is pleased, and not up and dow n like the 
wagtail. It is with difficulty that these birds 
are kept in a cage; nor will they submit to 
it by any means if caught old. Their song 
has no great strength; yet it is agreeable 
enough ; and they will, it taught young, imi- 
tate the notes of other birds, and sing by night 
frequently as well as in the day-time. 
8. The rubeeula, or redbreast, is univer- 
sally known. It abounds in Burgundy and 
Lorraine, where numbers are taken for the 
table, and thought excellent. It builds not far 
from the ground if in a bush ; though some- 
times it fixes on an out-house, or retired part 
of some old building. The nest is composed 
of dried leaves, mixed with hair and moss, 
and lined with feathers. The eggs are of a 
dusky white, marked with irregular reddish 
spots ; and are from three to seven in number. 
The young, when full-feathered, may be 
taken for a different bird, being spotted all 
over. The first rudiments of the red break 
forth on the breast about the end of August ; 
but it is quite the end of September before 
they come to the full colour. Insect* at# 
