490 
SPRING WAGTAIL. 
This species is about the size of a thrush; length eight inches ; bill 
dusky, reddish at the base ; the upper parts of the birds are of a greenish 
brown, marked with dusky spots on the head, of a longish form ; these 
increase on the neck to the back, where they are much larger ; the 
rump plain ; the shoulders and wings marked with the same colour, 
but the spots are transverse ; the under side of the body is white, 
marked with dusky spots; the two middle tail-feathers greenish brown, 
the others white, crossed with dusky lines ; legs dull flesh colour. The 
female has none of the spots underneath, except on the throat. 
In the British Zoology, it is said that the spots on the upper parts 
are of a triangular form and black. Said to inhabit North America, 
and to breed in Pensylvania and Hudson’s Bay. 
SPOTTED SNIPE. — A name for the Barker. 
SPRAT LOON. — A name for the Young Cobble. 
SPRING WAGTAIL (Budytes Jlava^ Cuvier.) 
* Motacilla flava, Linn. Syst. 1. p. 331. 12. — Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. p. 504. sp. 8. — 
Gmel. Syst. 1. p. 963. — Motacilla verna, Briss. 3. p. 468. 40. — Motacilla chry- 
sogastra, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 3. p. 446. — Berge rone tie de Printemps, Buff. 
Ois. 5. p. 265. t. 14. f. 1. — Ib. pi. Enl. 674. f. 2. — Bergeronette printaniere, 
Temm. Mail. d’Orn. 1. p. 260. — uGelbe Bachstelze, Meyer, Tasschenb. Deut. 
1. p. 219. — Ib. Vbg. Deut. Heft. 10. the male and female. — Geele Kwikstaart, 
Sepp. Nederl. Vbg. 2. p. 103. — Yellow Wagtail, Br. Zool. 1. No. 143. — Arct. 
Zool. 2. p. 396. F. — Will. (Angl.) p. 238. t. 68. — Edw. t. 258. — Lewin’s Br. 
Birds, 3. t. 91 .—Lath. Syn. 4. p. 400. 6. — Ib. Supp. p. 179. — Mont. Orn. Diet. 
Ib. Supp. — Pult. Cat. Dorset, p. 8. — Bewick’s Br. Birds, 1. 1. p. 198. — Flem. 
Br. Anim. p. 74. — Selby, pi. 49. fig. 3. p. 211.* 
Provincial — Summer Wagtail. Oat-seed Bird. 
Weight about five drams ; length six inches and a half ; the bill is 
black ; irides hazel ; the upper part of the head and back of the neck 
pale olive green ; back, scapulars, rump, and wing coverts, of the same 
colour, but darker ; the whole under parts from chin to vent, full bright 
yellow ; the coverts of the ears, like the upper part of the head ; over 
the eye a yellow streak ; quill-feathers dusky, those next the body, and 
the greater coverts, edged with yellowish white ; tail dusky, the two 
middle feathers dashed with olive, two outer feathers on each side 
white full half way from the end of the second feather, and running 
obliquely upwards, leaves the outer web of the first entirely white ; legs 
black ; hind claw very long, and but little curved. The female is less 
bright in colour, the yellow underneath in some appearing almost white 
at a little distance. 
There appears no doubt but many authors have confounded this 
species with the grey wagtail, which we have remarked more fully in 
the history of that bird. 
The male of this species, it is said, possesses a few black spots on 
the throat, but such a mark we have never observed in more than a 
