M'OTACILL A. 
white ; tail and quills dufky, edged with pale brown, 
except the outer feather, which has the outer web wholly 
white, and inner the lame, half-way from the b^fe; legs 
pale brown. The female differs in having the breaft and 
belly wholly white. This is a bird of paflage, viliting us 
in lpring, and leaving us in autumn; but during the 
hummer is very common in England. It frequents the 
hedges, and makes a neft two or three feet from the 
ground, compofed of mofs, and dry ftalks of herbs. The 
eggs are five in number, of a greehilh grey, marked with 
rufous and brown fpots. It is common in France, and 
in many other parts of the European continent; and is 
called by the people of Provence (e pafl'erine. 
( 3 . There is a variety of this bird obferved in France, 
differing only in having the general caff of the plumage 
more inclined to fulvous or red. 
29. Motacilla fylvieila, the finaller white-throat: fize 
of the yellow wren, and of the fame fiender (hape : bill 
dufky ; irides dark; upper parts of the plumage pale cine¬ 
reous brown, fomewhat darker on the crown; under 
parts, from the chin to the vent, dufky white; tail two 
inches in length, of the fame colour as the body, except 
the outer feather, which is paler on the outer web ; legs 
deep brown. Male, and female much alike. This bird 
inhabits England, and other parts of Europe; though the 
fpecies are lb minute as feldom to be noticed. In Eng¬ 
land it was firft obferved near Bulftrode in Buckingham- 
fl’ire; where it builds in brambles and other low bullies. 
The neft is compofed of dry bents mixed with wool, lined 
with a few hairs of a horfe or cow. The eggs are white, 
marked with fmall dots of brown, and larger irregular 
blotches of the fame towards the larger end ; the fmall 
end is quite plain. 
30. Motacilla ficedula, the epicurean warbler, or fig- 
pecker. This is a fmall bird, yet in delicacy of tafte it 
challenges the ortolan. Length five inches : bill black- 
ilh ; upper parts grey brown ; round the eye rufous 
white ; under parts greyifli white, with a tinge of brown 
on the breaft; fmaller wing-coverts grey brown ; the 
greater cinereous brown, tipped with white, forming a 
band acrofs the wing ; quills cinereous brown, edged 
with greyifli brown, but the three neareft the body with 
white; mil dufky, edged with grey brown ; legs, blackifh. 
The female is much paler than the male.- This bird has 
been much efteemed in ail ages for the delicate flavour of 
its flefli. It is not found in England, but is met with in 
moll of the intermediate parts between Sweden and Greece; 
yet it is only a fummer-inbabitant in thofe countries, pro¬ 
bably retiring ftili more fouth at the approach of winter. 
In the Ifie of Cyprus and Candy they abound greatly, 
infomuch as to be an article of commerce. They are 
falted and potted in great numbers, and tranfported 
into other countries. They alfo tranfport them in veflels 
filled with vinegar and fweet herbs; and the Ifle of Cy¬ 
prus alone colledls from a thoufand to twelve hundred of 
thefe pots every year. Their chief food is infefts, except 
in autumn, when they make great havoc among the figs 
and grapes; whence it is fuppofed their great delicacy in 
fome meafure arifes: 
31. Motacilla me via, the freckled warbler, or fig-eater. 
Length five inches and a half: bill reddifh brown ; upper 
parts of the body and wings rufoas, varied with yellowifh 
and afli-colour; beneath white ; breaft yellowifh, freckled 
with black fpots; quills blackifh, edged with white; tail 
the fame; legs reddifh ; claws black. This is common 
in Italy, and feeds chiefly on figs. It makes the neft 
about a foot from the ground, on fome fhrub or ftrong 
plant; is not eafily frightened from the neft; and will 
fooner lofe its life than fufter the young to be hurt. 
32. Motacilla alpina, the alpine warbler: length feven 
inches : bill blackifh ; upper part of the head and neck 
cinereous grey; back the fame, mixed with brown ; wing- 
coverts blackifh, tipped with white; fecond quills brown, 
with the outer edges pale rufous ; the prime one the fame, 
with whitifh edges; upper tail-coverts brown, edged with 
Vol. XVI. No. 1094.. 
81 
greenifh grey, and towards the tip pale rufous ; the tail- 
feathers marked with a pale rufous fpot on the inner fide 
at the tip; throat white, Ipotted with brown; breaft ci¬ 
nereous grey; the reft of the under parts grey, with a 
mixture of rufous and white; legs yellowifh. Inhabits 
the Alps, and the high mountains of Auvergne and 
Dauphiny. They keep within thefe limits, except the 
extreme fnows drive them from thence : are feen moftly 
on the ground; feldom perch on trees, and are very fhy 
birds. \ 
33. Motacilla patagonica, the patagonian watbler. 
This, as its name implies, is a large fpecies; length nine 
inches: bill bent at the tip, and black, with cinereous 
edges; upper parts of the body and tail, cinereous ; be¬ 
neath paler, marked with white ftreaks; chin and throat 
quite white ; over the eye a Itreak of the fame, reaching 
011 each fide almoft to the hind head; wings dark afh- 
colour, marked with pale brown, and a bar of the fame 
acrofs the coverts; the quills have brown edges; outer 
tail-feathers white; legs black. The female-has fewer 
ftreaks of white on the breaft. Native of Terra del Fuego. 
It varies in fize; and is’met with on the fea-beach, and 
is fuppofed to live on fhell-fifli or fea-worms. 
34. MotacillaProvincialiSjtheProven^al warbler: about 
the fize of a wren; but, as the tail is half the length, 
meafures. about five inches. The bill is black, with a 
white bafe, and the upper mandible curved at the tip; 
irides red ; eyelids deep crimfon ; upper parts of the head, 
neck, and body, dufley reddifh brown ; breaft and beily 
deep ferruginous ; middle of the belly white , quills duiky, 
edged with white; baftard wing white; exterior web of 
the outer tail-feathers white ; the reft duiky, and half the 
length of the bird; legs yellow. Native of Provence in 
France, and of Dartford in England ; generally found 
among cabbages, where it fearcbes for food, fuch as ca¬ 
terpillars and infefts which harbour there: it alfo takes 
up its nofturnal abode under the fhelter of the -leaves. 
It is likewife met with in England in all feafons of the 
year; but very fparingly. 
35. Motacilla Africana, the African warbler: length 
feven inches and a quarter : bill horn-colour; crown of 
the head rufous, dalhed with blackilh ; hind part of the 
neck, back, and fcapulars, black, edged with rufous 
grey ; rump, and upper tail-coverts, the fame, but the 
margins rufous : under parts dirty white; in fome birds 
dafhed with black on the fides; on each fide of the throat 
a longitudinal ftreak of black ; quills brown, fringed with 
rufous ; tail loofely webbed, the four middle feathers 
brown, with rufous margins ; legs grey brown. Native 
of the Cape of Good Hope. 
The colonifts at the Cape give the name of capoc-voogel, 
down-bird, to all birds who build their nefts with the 
down of plants, as they denominate all plants that bear 
a down capoc-bofcbje, cupoc-boom, down-tree, or down- 
flirub : hence Vaillant has called this fpecies capocier. It 
is very common about Cape Town, and efpecially in 
Svvartland and the downs of Saldana-bay. As the people 
never hunt them, they are fo tame, that you may eafily 
get near enough to them to knock thefn down with a flick. 
Nay, they will come in at the doors and windows of houfe-s 
with great familiarity, and, without regarding the per- 
fons prefent, will go to the difhes, plates, and pans, that 
ftand afide, and feed upon the little feraps of meat that 
remain. If they happen to alight upon a plate of mut¬ 
ton-fat, they could fill their bellies with great eafe and 
pleafure; but, fo fond are they of greafe, that, if they 
find a candle inftead, they will take the pains with their 
weak bill to pick it clean off the wick. Flence, Vaillant 
fays, in the family where he lodged they were commonly 
called vet-vreelertje, little fat-eater. With regard to mut¬ 
ton-fat, he obferves, that, in the diftrifts which furnifh 
but little pafture for cows, they ufe the fat of the fheep’s- 
tails inftead of butter; and this is particularly the cafe 
in Swartland. 
Finding thefe birds return fo frequently and familiarly 
Y ta 
