BRITISH BIRB§. 20 $ 
Tile Eedftart is migratory ; it appears about the 
iniddle of April, and departs the latter end of Sep- 
tember, or beginning of October ; it frequents old 
walls and ruinous edifices, where it makes its neft, 
compofed chiefly of mofs, lined with hair and fea- 
thers : It is diftinguilhed by a peculiar quick lhake 
of its tail from fide to fide on its alighting on a wall 
or other place. Though a wild and timorous bird,* 
it is frequently found in the midfi: of cities, always 
chufing the moil difficult and inacceflible places for 
its refidence ; it likewife builds in forefts, in holes 
of trees, or in high and dangerous precipices ; the 
female lays four or five eggs, not much unlike 
thofe of the Hedge-fparrow, but lomewhat lon- 
ger. Thefe birds feed on flies, fpiders, the eggs 
of ants, final! berries, foft fruits, and fuch like. 
THE FAUVETTE. 
PETTICHAPS. 
( Motacilla hzppolais , Lin . — La Fauvette , Buff) 
Length about fix inches : Its bill is blackilh ; 
eyes dark hazel ; the whole upper part of the body 
is of a dark brown or moufe colour, lightly tinged 
with pale brown on the edges of the wing coverts, 
and along the webs of the fecondary quills; the 
larger quills are of a dulky afh colour, as are alfo 
thofe of the tail, except the outermoft, which are 
white on their exterior fides and tips ; over each 
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