A dictionary of British birds : reprinted from Montagu's Ornithological dictionary, and incorporating the additional species described by Selby; Yarrell, in all three editions, and in natural-history journals / compiled and edited by Edward Newman.
- George Montagu
- Date:
- 1866
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: A dictionary of British birds : reprinted from Montagu's Ornithological dictionary, and incorporating the additional species described by Selby; Yarrell, in all three editions, and in natural-history journals / compiled and edited by Edward Newman. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![xlii. 1G7.] Motacilla bourula, Lin. Mant. 1771, p. 527 ; Gmel. S7jst. ii. p. 997; Ind. Orn. ii. p. 502, 4; Bewick, Br. Birds, i. t. p. 190. Motacilla cinerea, an flava altera Aldr. Raii Syn. p. 75, 3; Will. p. 172, 3. Motacilla flava, Bris. iii. p. 471, 41, t. 23, f. 3 ; Ib. 8vo, i. p. 439. Bergeronette jaune, Buf. V. p. 208. Yellow Wagtail, Alhin, ii. t. 58. Grey Wagtail, Br. Zool. i. No. 144; Ib. fol. 105 ; Will. Angl. p, 238; Edw. t. 259 ; Lath. Syn. iv. p. 398, 4; Slip. p. 178; Don. Br. Birds, t. 40; Leioin, Br. Birds, iii. t. 95 ; Wale. S7jn. ii. t. 227 ; Piilt. Cat. Dorset, p. 8. Provincial: Winter Wagtail. — This veiy 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, hack, and seapulai’s dark ci- nereous ; greenish yellow on the rump; the eyelids, chin, throat, and breast bufi- coloured yellow ; behind the eye a stroke of the same; helly pale j'ellow; the wing- coverts and quills black, the former bor- dered with light brown, the latter slightly edged on the exterior webs of the primaries, and the three next the body deei^ly mar- gined on their outer webs with yellowish white; the inner wehs 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 pn the outer weh, which is black to M-ithin half an inch of the end; the third like the lost, with the addition of a small streak of black on the edge of the interior weh; 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 marie on the throat, and that such is the distinguishing mark of the male sex; hut observing that none had that mark till after the month of February, we were led to dissect several before the black appeared, and afterwards, and found both sexes with and without that mark. The Grey Wag- tail visits US' about the latter end of Sei)- tember, and departs in Apiil. At first not one is to be seen with the black throat, and in the month of March none are to he found without more or less black on that part; hut in the female it is not so con- spicuous. At this season the breast and belly of the male becomes of a blight 3'ellow; the other sex is also brighter on those parts than in the winter; and each has a white streak from the base of the bill passing down the neck on the edge of the black. It is more than probable this and the Yellow Wagtjiil have been some- times confounded. In the ‘ British Zoo- logy ’ mention is made of that bird remain- ing all the year in Hampshire; probably taken from Mr. White’s ‘ Natural History of Selbome,’ p. 38, who says, “ Wagtails, both white and yellow, remain with us all ■winter.” And in the ‘ Naturalist’s Calendar’ it says, p. 8, “ Grey and White Wagtails appear January the 2nd;” again, p. 12, “Yellow Wagtails appear from January 25th to April 14th.” It seems evident, therefore, this author did not discriminate the two species. In the ‘ Linnsean Trans- actions,’ p. 120, Vol. I., Mr. Markwick says, “The White, Grey, and Yellow Wag- tails are often seen in the middle of winter, although the generahiy of them disappear in autumn.” From this account it should seem this bird was found in those parts during summer. We have, however, never been able to have ocular proof of this bird remaining with us in summer, and are in- clined to believe the confusion of the spe- cies has given rise to that idea, at least in the South of England. Dr. Latham, in his ‘ Synopsis,’ says he has been informed these birds breed in Cumberland, where they first appear in April; that young ones have been shot in June; and that they depart again in October. 'The nest is said to be made of dried fibres and moss, lined with hair, feathers, or wool; the eggs from six to eight in number, of a dirty white, marked with yellow spots. This species with us is solitary, frequenting watery places, especially small shallow streams, for the sake of insects, on which it feeds. Alhin seems to have given a figure of this bird for the female Yellow Wagtail. Supplement. —We-must have been ex- tremely uufoi'tunate in our constant per- sonal researches into the secrets of Nature, never to have found either the Grey Wag- tail in summer, nor the Y’^eUow Wagtail in winter, since we are told of such occur- rences. We have resided in a part of the country where the Y'^ellow species was extremely common during the summer months, and where the Grey was as plen- tiful as we ever observed them to be in any part of England during the winter; but in no instance could we find that either appeared in the other season. Mr. Bolton says the Grey Wagtail appi^m in April, and retires in September : this con- firms what has before been asserted, that they breed in Cumberland: and as the author of ‘ Hormonia Ruralis ’ resided in](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b28089935_0390.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
