558 
WINTER WAGTAIL. 
WINTER MEW.—A name for the Gull. 
WINTER WAGTAIL {Motacilla Boarula, Linn^us.) 
*Motacilla Boarula, Linn. Syst. p. 527. — Gmel, Syst. 1. p. 997. sp. 5. — Laih. Ind. 
Orn, 2. p. 502. 4. — Motacilla melanopa, Gmel. Syst. 997. — Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 
503. sp. 5. — Motacilla cinerea, an flava altera Aldrov.I Raii, Syn. p. 75. 3. — 
Will. p. 172. — La Bergeronette jaune, Buff. Ois. 5. p. 268. — Ib. pi. Enl. 28.. 
f. 1. young female.— Tmm. Man. d'Orn. 1. p. 257. — Motacilla sulphurea, 
Bechst. Naturg. Dent. 3. p. 459.- — Yellow Wagtail, Albin, 2. t. 58. — Grey 
Wagtail, Br. Zool. 1. No. 144. — Will. (Angl.) p. 238. — Lath. Syn. 4. p. 398. 
4. — Ib. Supp. p. 178. — Mont. Orn. Diet Ib. Supp.— Leruin’s Br. Birds, 3. t. 
95. — Edw. t. 259. — Wale. Syn. 2. t. 227. — Puit. Cat. Dorset, p. 8. — BewieWs 
Br. Birds, 1. p. t. 190 Flem. Br. Anim. p. 747. — Selby, pi. 49. fig. 2. p. 209.* 
This very elegant species weighs about five drams ; length seven 
inches and three-quarters. Bill dusky ; irides dark hazel ; crown of 
the head, cheeks, back of the neck, back, and scapulars, dark cinereous ; 
greenish yellow on the rump ; the eye-lids, chin, throat, and breast, 
buff-coloured yellow ; behind the eye a stroke of the same ; belly pale 
yellow ; the wing coverts and quills black, the former bordered with 
light brown, the latter slightly edged on the exterior webs of the pri- 
mores, and the three next the body deeply margined on their outer 
webs with yellowish white ; the inner webs of all, except the three or 
four largest, are white at the base ; the vent, sides of the upper and 
the under tail coverts, bright yellow ; the tail is four inches long, the 
feathers of which bend a little downwards ; the outer feather is entirely 
white ; the second white, except on the outer web, which is black to 
within half an inch of the end ; the third like the last, with the addi- 
tion of a small streak of black on the edge of the interior web ; the 
fourth and fifth black ; middle ones dusky, tinged with ash-colour, and 
edged with yellow towards the base ; legs dusky brown. 
This is the winter plumage. About the beginning of March some 
spots of black are seen on the throat and chin, which increases till 
those parts are wholly black, except the tips of the feathers, which are 
slightly edged with white. 
All authors seem to agree in the mistake that the female does not 
possess the black mark on the throat, and that such is the distinguish- 
ing mark of the male sex ; but observing that none had that mark till 
after the month of February, we were led to dissect several both before 
the black appeared, and afterwards, and found both sexes with and with- 
out that mark. 
The Winter Wagtail visits the southern parts of this country about 
the latter end of September, and departs for the northern parts in April. 
At first not one is to be seen with the black throat, and in the month of 
March none are to be found without more or less black on that part ; but 
in the female it is not so conspicuous. At this season the breast and belly 
of the male becomes of a bright yellow ; the other sex is also brighter on 
