M O T A 
nightingale; it is even more delicate. When at liberty, 
it preys on flies, fpiders, the chryfalids of ants, &c. and, 
when thefe are wanting, it feeds on ffnall berries, and 
loft fruits. In Italy it pecks the figs ; and Olina tells us, 
that it is feen in that country as late as the month of No¬ 
vember, though in England it difappears in September. 
It departs when the redbreaft begins to vifit our habita¬ 
tions ; and this is the reafon perhaps that Ariftotle and 
Pliny afl'ert that the redbreaft of winter, and the redftart 
of fummer, are the lame bird. Even in their migrations, 
the redftarts fltow their folitary difpolition ; they never 
aflemble in flocks, but arrive and depart fingly. 
A variety of the male, differs in having a long line 
of white only on the forehead, the back more cinereous, 
and the bottom of the belly not white. 
y. Of the female, differing from the common only in 
having the breaft fpotted with red. 
S. M. tithys, made by Dr. Turton a diftimSt fpecies : 
inclines more to aflt-colour ; the throat and breaft black ; 
belly, between the thighs, whitilh ; elfewliere varied with 
black and white. The female wholly brown. It is called 
by the Italians, morettu; and by the Germans, haujruth 
fchweife. 
181. Motacilla Gibraltarienfis, the Gibraltar redftart: 
fize of the common redftart: bill dark brown ; forehead, 
fldes of the head, and throat, black ; hind head white, 
palling forwards to the eyes ; top of the head, neck, back, 
wing-coverts, breaft, and upper part of the belly, bluifli 
grey, oralh-colour; lower belly white ; quills grey brown, 
edged with white : rump and tail bright orange-colour ; 
the two middle feathers of the laft are brown, and all the 
others tipped with brown, except the outer one, which is 
wholly orange ; legs brown. Found among the rocks of 
Gibraltar. 
182. Motacilla erythraca, the red-tailed warbler: a fize 
bigger than the redftart: bill blackifli; top of the head, 
hind part of the neck and back, fcapulars, and fmaller 
wing-coverts, grey; rump and tail rufous red; throat, 
and from thence to the vent, whitilh grey, mixed with 
pale rufous; greater wing-coverts, and quills, grey brown, 
edged with rufous ; tail wholly rufous ; legs black. The 
male differs from the female, chiefly in having a large 
brown mark on the fore-part of the neck, in the fliape of 
a horfe-flioe, the concave part uppermoft : a fmall brown 
fpot between the bill and eye : the tw'o middle tail-fea¬ 
thers brown ; the reft rufous. Thefe inhabit the conti¬ 
nent of Europe, and are migratory; arrive in Burgundy 
and Lorraine in May, and depart in 06 tober; frequent 
the woods, nefting in the low bufhes, near the ground. 
The neft is compoled of mofs without, and wool and fea¬ 
thers within. The eggs, five or fix in number, are white, 
mixed with grey. They may be found in the lkirts of 
the wood, which they frequent morning and evening, to 
leek the worms, flies, &c. on which they feed. It has no 
long, only a Angle note, like the word J'uit, and wags the 
tail like the redftart. At the end of fummer it is very fat, 
and delicate to eat. 
183. Motacilla Guianenfis, the Guiana warbler: length 
fix inches and a half; bill pale; upper parts of the head, 
neck, and body, grey; the under parts white; wings 
and tail wholly rufous ; legs pale flelh-colour. Inhabits 
Guiana. 
184. Motacilla atrata, the mourning-warbler: length fix 
inches: general colour of the plumage black; top of the 
head lead-colour; feathers of the back edged with dulky 
brown ; quills dulky; outer edges of the fecondaries 
fringed with white; the two middle tail-feathers dulky, 
the others red. 
185. Motacilla guira, the guira warbler : fize of a gold¬ 
finch : bill dulky; round the bale of it black, extending 
round the eyes, ears, and throat; over the eye a line of 
yellow, palling down on each fide of the neck ; upper 
parts of the body, wings, and tail, olive green; under 
parts fine orange; vent yellow; upper tail-coverts yel- 
Vol. XVI. No. 1096. 
C 1 L L A. D7 
low; rump fine orange; tips of the quills brown; legs 
brown. Native of Brafil. 
186. Motacilla fealis, the blue warbler: length five 
inches and three quarters: bill blackifli; upper parts of 
the plumage fine blue; throat, fore-neck, breaft, and lides, 
of a fine rufous red ; belly and under tail-coverts white ; 
legs black. In fome birds there is a little mixture of blue 
on the breaft. The female is not far different, but the 
colours are not fo bright; the blue is mixed with dulky, 
and the fecondaries edged with white. This fpecies is 
migratory; coming into Carolina, Virginia, the Jerleys, 
and New York, very early in the fpring; lometimes even 
when the fnow is on the ground. Great numbers appear 
all at once; and feed on the early ephemera in March ; 
they alfo frequent fields wdiere maize and mulleins grow, 
and perch on the ftalks, in order to pick off the flies. It is 
often feen on rails, and jumps after the flies within reach, 
like the flycatcher. Is never feen on trees, though faid 
to make the neft in the holes of them. Flies fwift; and 
has a plaintive kind of note. It is found in the Bermuda 
Illes. 
187. Motacilla Suecica, the blue-throated w'arbler. 
This feems much related to the redbreaft, and is the 
fame fize. The colour of the upper parts is nearly the 
fame ; over the eye is a rufous white itreak; the throat 
and fore-part of the neck of a bright azure blue; beneath 
this a border of black ; and under that the breaft is red ; 
belly, thighs, and vent, dulky wdiite; tail brown, but the 
half of all but the tw'o middle feathers is orange red next 
the vent. This is the defeription of the male ; of which 
fome varieties have a beautiful filver white fpot, of the 
fize of a filver penny, on the middle of the blue on the 
fore-part of the neck. The female has the fame colours 
with the male on the upper parts, but differs beneath. In 
her the throat is white ; acrofs the neck a band of blue, 
bordered beneath with another of black ; the reft of the 
under parts dulky white.' Thefe birds are met with in 
various parts between Srveden and Gibraltar. They do 
not frequent woods, like the redbreaft, but haunt places 
near the w'ater, among reeds and fedge ; frequently mak¬ 
ing the neft on the willow-trees, of grafs, See. Some au¬ 
thors mention that it has an agreeable fong, and others 
fay that it lings in the night. The young do not acquire 
their colour on the breaft till after fome time, like the red¬ 
breaft ; being, like that, only fpotted with brown upon 
that part at firft. It is remarked that the fine blue colour 
goes oft', if this bird be kept in a cage ; not retaining it 
after the firft moult. They are common at Alface ; and 
are thought very good food, being at times caught for 
the ufe of the table. 
188. Motacilla garrula, the chattering w'arbler. This 
and the two following African fpecies refemble, in cha- 
rafters and manners, our blue-throated w'arbler, juft de- 
feribed. Like that, they delight in marlhy places, living 
among nifties and reeds, where they remain the whole 
year, and bring up their young. The prefent fpecies has 
its name from a chattering noife which it makes almolt 
inceffantly, of grigii-gragm, in very varied tones. The 
neck is full of dark fpecks on a white ground, inclining 
to brow'll on the under plumage. The feathers of the 
upper furface, including the head, wings, and tail, are of 
a dull brow r n> with a flight tint or fhade of olive. Bill, 
feet, and eyes, light brown. I11 the feafon of love this 
bird perches upon the ruflies, emitting a note fomething 
like the babbler, M. curucca. During his fong, which 
lafts for feveral feconds, he flutters his wings wfithout 
moving from his place; then ftops on a fudden, and turns 
entirely over to join the female, who is generally beneath 
him ; for her no doubt he exhibits all thefe little fports. 
Vaillant fays the connexion often takes place upon the 
weak leaf of the reed, a moft inconvenient pofition for an 
animal lefs vivacious and wanton than a bird. Among 
thefe reeds alfo the male and female build their neft, tak¬ 
ing care to make it fait to feveral of the ftalks.. The fe- 
C c male 
