. A history of British birds, indigenous and migratory: including their organization, habits, and relations; remarks on classification and nomenclature; an account of the principal organs of birds, and observations relative to practical ornithology .. . lliptical or oblong, in the lower and forepart of the nasal depression, which is feathered at the eyes are of moderate size ; the external aperture of theear large and transversely oval. The general form is slender; the head oblong, the neckrather short. The feet of ordinary length, slender ; the tarsus WAGTAILS AND ALLIED SPECIES. 203
. A history of British birds, indigenous and migratory: including their organization, habits, and relations; remarks on classification and nomenclature; an account of the principal organs of birds, and observations relative to practical ornithology .. . lliptical or oblong, in the lower and forepart of the nasal depression, which is feathered at the eyes are of moderate size ; the external aperture of theear large and transversely oval. The general form is slender; the head oblong, the neckrather short. The feet of ordinary length, slender ; the tarsus WAGTAILS AND ALLIED SPECIES. 203 much compressed, anteriorly covered with eight scutella, sharpbehind. The toes moderate or short, much compressed, theouter slightly united at the base ; the claws generally of mo-derate length, curved, and rather stout, but in Budytes long,little curved, and extremely compressed. The plumage is soft and blended ; the feathers ovate, of loosetexture, with a long slender plumule. The wings are ratherlong, broad, of eighteen quills, the first being obsolete, the nextthree nearly equal and longest; the secondaries very long,emarginate, excepting the inner three, which are tapering, andof which one is so elongated as nearly or entirely to equal the. longest primaries. The tail, of twelve narrow feathers, is alwayslong, in some double the length of the body, and more or lessrounded or graduated, although sometimes also emarginate. The skeleton is of very delicate structure, the flat bones beingso thin as to be transparent; but it does not differ in any essen-tial respect from that of the Alaudinae, Turdinse, and Saxico-linse. The Motacillinas reside in open jDastures and meadows, fre-quent the sides of streams and lakes, run with great celerity,and have a remarkable habit of almost constantly vibratingtheir body and especially the tail. Their flight is rapid andundulatory, buoyant and graceful in the highest degree ; theirvoice shrill, and their musical powers of a very inferior or
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookidhistoryofbritish02macg, booksubjectbirdsg
