49 



THE CHIFF-CHAFF PROVED TO BE THE Sylvia Rufa, 

 HITHERTO CONFOUNDED WITH S. Hippolais OF THE CONTINENT. 



BV THE EDITOR. 



ARBOUR BIRDS (Philomela polyglotta, RENNIB), and nest drawn from specimens. 



BRITISH writers, since the time of Pennant and White, have ren- 

 dered the history of several of our smaller birds a mass of confusion, 

 which even now it will be difficult to clear up, though I feel confident 

 I possess the means of loosening two at least of the knots of the con- 

 troverted points, as I shall presently show. 



"When I was residing last summer (1832) at Bonn, on the Rhine, my 

 friend, M. Wichterich, brought me a pair of birds with their young, 

 which, at first sight, judging from colour and size, I took to be pale 

 canaries, till I looked at their bills. I perceived then that it was 



VOL. r. NO. ii. (FEB. 1833.) E 



