File:A history of the birds of Europe, not observed in the British Isles (1859) (14747988801).jpg

Identifier: historybirdsEurIIBree (find matches)
Title: A history of the birds of Europe, not observed in the British Isles
Year: 1859 (1850s)
Authors: Bree, Charles Robert, 1811-1886 Fawcett, Benjamin, 1808-1893, engraver
Subjects: Pictorial works Birds
Publisher: London : Groombridge and Sons ...
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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Text Appearing Before Image:
neric Characters.—Beak slender, straight, awl-shaped,cylindrical, and angulated between the nostrils; the edge ofthe inferior mandible compressed inwards. Nostrils basal,lateral-ovoid, partly closed by a naked membrane. Tarsi aslong again as the middle toe; three toes in front and onebehind, the outer toe of the three joined to the middle toeat its base; the claw of the hinder toe longer than those infront, which are very small. Tail very long, and nearly evenat the end, having twelve feathers. Wings of moderate size,first quill the longest, second and third equal, and nearlyas long as the first. The tertials very long. YELLOW-HEADED WAGTAIL. Motacilla citreola. Motacilla citreola, Pallas; Voy., vol. iii., p. 696, 1776, Gmelin; Syst., i., p. 962, 1788.Latham; Ind., 1790.Temminck; Man., p. 259, 1820. Keysehling and Blasitjs; Die Wirbelt, 1840. ^ ScHiNZ; Europ. Faun., 1840. SCHLEGEL, 1844. DeGLAjSTD, 1849. MiddenDOEFE; Sibirische Eeise, ii„ p. 163.Biidytes citreola, Bonaparte, 1838.
Text Appearing After Image:
YELLOW-HEADED WAGTAIL. 139 Bergeronnette citrine, Of the French. Citronengelbe ScJiafstelze, Of the GtERMANS. Yellow-headed Wagtail, Pennant; Arct. Zoology. Specific Characters.—Beak and scapularies bluisK grey; head,neck, throat, and all inferior parts of the body, citron yellow;the lateral tail feathers pure white. In the female top of thehead and cheeks ashy grey. Length six and a half to seveninches. The Wagtails form a group of birds always in-teresting to the naturalist. They are among the mostbeautiful and elegant of the feathered tribes, and thereare few people who have not watched their gracefulmovements among our rocky streams without pleasure. They are also interesting studies to the philosophicnaturalist—^for they present him with some puzzlingproblems as to the distinction between species and varietyand race. Natural selection has been busy with thegroup, and without however shewing any tendency todevelop a Pelican or a Balceniceps Ilex out of thedelicate Wagtail, it

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