and some other British Birds. 191 



Sylvia Dartfordiensis. 



Ind. Orn. ii. p. 517. 31. 



Dartford Warbler. Lath. Syrii 



In a paper which T had the honour to lay some time since be- 

 fore the Linnean Society, some notice was taken of the discovery 

 of this little bird in the southern parts of Devonshire: and I there 

 remarked that, as it had been so frequently observed to be a winter 

 inhabitant, a circumstance not favourable to its beino- a migrative 

 species, (as it was said to breed in Provence on the continent so 

 much further south*) I was not without hopes of ultimately 

 proving it indigenous to this part of England. 



My opinion that this species of Warbler bred with us, was 

 greatly strengthened by a letter which I had the pleasure of receiv- 

 ing from a scientific friend in Cornwall, well known in the literary 

 world f, who assured me that his brother had observed these birds 

 for several years to inhabit furze, near Truro ; that last year, 

 as well as the present, they were plentiful during the summer 

 season ; and that he had not only seen them every month in the 

 year, but had observed young ones soon after they had left the 

 nest, though his search for the nest and eggs had been in vain. 



This information redoubled, if possible, my ardour, and I 

 visited a large furze common in my neighbourhood, where I had 

 seen several the preceding autumn ; and upon close search on 



* Provence is situated between 33 and 34 degrees north latitude, and 5 and 7 east 

 longitude; and therefore, as these birds have been also found in England in latitude 5\ 

 and west longitude 5, there can be no doubt but all the intermediate space, taking- in 

 nearly the whole of France, is inhabited by them more or less, whenever the situation 

 is congenial to their habits. 



t Mr. Stackhouse, of Pendarvis. 



the 



