100 SKETCHES OF EUROPEAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



tion. The Wheat-ear is principally distinguished from its ancient 

 congeners, by the "snow-white mark across the base of the tail;" 

 and hence has received, from good old Bewick, the homely but ex- 

 pressive name of White-Rump. The specific designation, albicau- 

 data, or albicocct/gea, would, consequently, be far more applicable 

 and characteristic than the cenanthe of the older, or cinerea, of mo- 

 dern Ornithologists. The British Wheat-ear is a migratory bird ; 

 arriving in March, and quitting in September. Gould's two figures, 

 illustrative of the sexual diversities af plumage, are finely executed. 



Plate VII. — The Turtle-Dove, — Columha Turtur, — Colombe 

 Tourterelle, Fr., — Tortora commune. It. — Turteltaube, G. A spe- 

 cimen of the adult male, drawn and coloured with surpassing skill 

 and accuracy. It is the Peristera turtur, of our Derbyshire corres- 

 pondent. Of the existence of any external character sufficiently 

 marked to authorize this innovation, we are, at present, ignorant. 

 Without some striking distinction of habits or character, birds ought 

 never to be removed from the position which they have originally 

 occupied. 



Plate VIII. — The Pintailed iSand-Grouse, — Plerodes setarius, 

 Temminck, — Teirao alchata, and — caudacutus, of Latham and 

 Gmelin, — le Ganga cata. Fr.y — inhabits the southern countries of 

 Europe, the sterile districts which skirt the Pyrenees, and the bor- 

 ders of the Mediterranean ; and visits, at uncertain periods, the 

 southern provinces of France. It is a very handsome bird ; and 

 distinguished from the only other European species, P. aremirius, 

 by the extraordinary length of the two slender feathers situated in 

 the middle of the tail. Hence, the English specific designation; 

 and the obvious propriety of substituting the Latin adjective cauda- 

 cutus, for the setarius employed by Temminck. The species of this 

 genus constitute the genus (Enas, of Vieillot ; and belong to the 

 TetraonidcB, or Capricalidas, of modern Ornithologists. Two spe- 

 cimens, an adult male and female, are admirably figured by Mr. 

 Gould. The bird is, also, prettily drawn and coloured in Livraison 

 25 of Werner s Atlas. 



Plate IX. — Presents ably-executed figures of two species of 

 Cypselns: 1. The Swift, — C. murarius,oi Temminck, — le Marti- 

 net de Muraille, Fr., — Rondine maggiore Volgare, It., — Thurm 

 Schwalbe,G. Most of our readers are probably aware that this singu- 

 lar bird, — with whose shrill scream, uttered in its rapid flight around 

 the old grey church-tower in the glorious evenings of summer, some 

 of the best and brightest recollections of our earlier years are indis- 

 aolubly blended, — was arranged, by Linn%us, among the Swallows, 



