. Harmonia ruralis, or, An essay towards a natural history of British song birds : illustrated with figures the size of life, of the birds, male and female, in their most natural attitudes ... . WAGTAIL. PLATE L. The Gray-Wagtail comes to us in April, and leavesus before winter. Its haunts are constantly stonybrooks or rivulets. The nest is most generally placedon the ledge of some rock whose foot is washed bythe current. The materials are dried grass, moss, andfibres of roots. The nest I now describe, was placedon a moist overshadowed rock, about six feet from thesurface of the water. The out
. Harmonia ruralis, or, An essay towards a natural history of British song birds : illustrated with figures the size of life, of the birds, male and female, in their most natural attitudes ... . WAGTAIL. PLATE L. The Gray-Wagtail comes to us in April, and leavesus before winter. Its haunts are constantly stonybrooks or rivulets. The nest is most generally placedon the ledge of some rock whose foot is washed bythe current. The materials are dried grass, moss, andfibres of roots. The nest I now describe, was placedon a moist overshadowed rock, about six feet from thesurface of the water. The outside consists of roots, moss, and grass ; thenext coat consists of the same materials, but smallerand finer; the lining, immediately under the eggs, isa plentiful mixture of black and white hair. The nestis firm, round, and compact. The eggs are four or five; the ground colour adead white, and are speckled with small brown spots. The cock has a pleasing song in breeding time ; hisvoice is low, but the notes are soft and well varied. I am informed that this bird abides in Encrland all o the year, that it comes into the north in summer tobreed, and retires to the south to spend the >Q vIn ^ 1^ < ^ =0^ ^^ ---\RY fciAr. :;.:!T¥ ,._. :;iA USA 51 MOTACILLA LUSCINIA. Lin. Syst. 328. THE NIGHTINGALE. PLATE LI. X he bill is black at the tip ; of a pale flesh colourat the base. The mouth within, orange colour; thehead black. The wings and tail are of a tawny brown,only the upper part of the tail, and the edges of thewing feathers, are of a stronger and brighter hue, in-clining to an orange red. The throat and breast are of a dusky white, havingfaint touches of a darker hue tending belly is white ; the feathers under the tail, a verypale buff colour. The hen is distinguished from the cock, by being asmaller bird; by being of a more dull colour; andby having a greenish shade on the back. The Tortoise-shell Butterfly* feeds on nettles whena caterpillar ;
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Keywords: ., bookauthorbolton, bookidharmoniaruraliso00bolt, booksubjectbirds
