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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![Yorkshire, it should seem that his obser- vations regarded that county. The nest and eggs appear to greatly resemble those of the Yellow Wagtail. In the southern promontory of Devon we have seen this bird in April, but never at any time be- tween that and September: but we are assured by Mr. Tucker that in his neigh- bourhood, about Ashburton, in tlie same county, it is not uncommon throughout the year; and that in the summer of 1808 he saw two pairs, to one of which belonged four young birds that had recently left their nest; the manners of the other pair indicated that they had a nest. These were observed in June, upon the borders of the Dart, not far from Ashburton. So powerful an evidence as this of the Grey Wagtail being indigenous to Devonshii'e must induce us to consider that its ex- treme locality in the southern parts of England, in the breeding season, has caused so many doubts; and these doubts Avere strengthened by having had ocular proof that the two species, this and the Yellow, have been frequently confounded; and that in no instance has the Grey spe- cies occurred to us in the incubating season within the southern provinces. [Wagtail, Greyheaded.— Yarrell, i. 437; Hewitson, Ixii. 168.—“ Distinguished from our common summer Yellow Wagtail (M. Eayi) by the white elongated line over the eyes and ear-coverts, which appears to be permanent at all seasons, and by the grey head, which is more or less conspicuous also at all seasons, but particularly in summer. In Eay’s Wagtail the line over the eye and the ear-coverts is yellow; and the head I believe invaiiably of the same colour as the back of the bird. The fe- males of the two species most resemble each other.” — Yarrell, 1. c. Mr. Double- day added this species to the British list by shooting a specimen on Walton CUSs, near Colchester, in October, 1834; and others have subsequently been obtained on the banks of the water at Leith; in the parish of Stoke Naylnnd, in Suffolk; at Newcastle; near Loudon; and at Shei-- ringham, in Norfolk. — Synonymes of this species: “ Motacilla Hava, Linn. S. N. i. 331; Temm. Man. d’Omith. i. 200, iii. 181. Motacilla neglects, Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. p. 129; Jenyns, Man. B. Vert. An. p. 110. Budytes Gouldii, Macgill. Man. N. II. Or- nith. i. 163. Grey-headed Wagtail, Yarr. Brit. B. 2nd edit. i. 412 ; Gould, Birds of Europe, pi. 140.—O. R. Gray, List of Brit. An. Port iii. Birds, p. 72.] Wagtail, Pied, or Black and White. — See Wagtail, White. [Wagtail, Ray’s.—See Wagtail, YeUow.] Wagtail, Spring, or Summer.—See Wag- tail, Yellow. Wagtail, Water.—See Wagtail, White. Wagtail, White.—[Tamil, i. 420; Hew- itson, xli. 163, under name of Pied Wag- tail. Motacilla Yarrellii, Gould, Birds of Europe, pl.l42; Temm. Man. d’Orn.iv. 020.] Motacilla alba, Lin. Syst. i. p. 331, 11; Gmel. Syst. ii. p. 900; Raii Syn. p. 75, A. 1; Will. p. 171, t. 42 ; Ind. Orn. u. p. 501, 1; Bris. iii. p. 461, 38; Ih. 8vo, i. p. 437 ; Lath. Syn. Sup. ii. p. 230 ; Nat. Miscel. t. 207; Beicick, Br. Birds, i. t. p. 194. La Lavandiere, Buf. v. p. 251, t. 14, f. 1. White Wagtail, Br. Zool. i. No. 142, t. 55 ; 15. fol. 104; Arct. Zool. ii. p. 390, B.; Will. Angl. p. 237 ; Alhin, i. t. 49 ; Lath. Syn. iv. p. 395, 1; Sup. p. 178; Leioin, Br. Birds, iii. t. 95 ; Wale. Syn. ii. t. 220 ; Pult. Cat. Dorset, p. 8 ; Don. Br. Birds, i. t. 5. Motacilla albida, Gmel. Syst. ii. p. 961. Collared Wagtail, Lath. Sy7i. iv. p. 390. Provincial: Water Wagtail; Dish- washer ; Washerwoman; Pied, or Black and White Wagtail. — The weight of this species is near six drams; length seven inches and a half. The bill is black; irides dusky. The forehead, cheeks, and side of the neck white; the back of the head, upper and under side of the neck, chin, and breast black; back dusky, dashed with cinereous, in some nearly black; lower part of the breast and belly white; quill-feathers dusky, two or three next the body excepted, Avhich are black, deeply bordered on their exterior webs with white; the greater coverts black, tipped with white; the others black, dashed with ash-colour; the tail-feathers are black, except the two outmost on each • side; which 'are black at the base, the other part white. The female is dusky where the male is black, with more ci- nereous on the back and rump. This is the summer plumage; in the au- tumn the black feathoms on the chin and throat fall off, and are replaced by white ones, leaving only a black patch, someAvhat in form of a crescent, on the breast. The young birds have no black on the throat till the returning spring. In this state it has been descrilied ns a variety, but is in fact the constant winter plumage, regaining this black mark about the mouth of March. The White Wagtail is a very active bii'd, and continually in motion, running nl'ter Hies. In winter they change their abode, but do not quit the kingdom. As the weather becomes severe they haunt marshes subject to the I How of the tide. In such places on the](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b28089935_0391.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
