THE THREE BRITISH TREBLINGS. 70S 



satisfactorily established as frequenting our island. No small por- 

 tion of the uncertainty which has hitherto prevailed, may be traced 

 to the lax and unscientific mode adopted by authors in designating 

 this group. Thus, one species is called the Lesser Middle Willow- 

 Wren, another the Willow Wren, another the Lesser Pettichaps, 

 also, Middle Yellow Wren, Second Willow Wren, Large Shivering 

 Yellow Wren, &c. &c., all of which fanciful designations are con- 

 stantly used by those anxious to elucidate the history of the genus ; 

 but which mode of designation would be of itself sufficient to frus- 

 trate their intentions. The three species which are now established 

 maybe correctJy called, the Garden Treeling, (Silvia melodiaj ; the 

 Wood Treeling, f Silvia sibilansj ; and the Hedge Treeling, fSiL 

 via loquax). The name, ^^ Warbler," is not very applicable to this 

 genus, as only one of them has any pretention to a song, and that 

 consists of two or three notes, scarcely audible at a short distance. 

 I have, therefore, translated the Latin generic appellation, Silvia, 

 which, as applied to this genus, is singularly appropriate. The 

 Wood Treeling is frequently called Silvia trochilus ; but I have 

 preferred the specific name proposed by Blyth, " melodia" as this 

 species is distinguished by its sweetly modulated song. The name, 

 trochilus, has also been applied to the Colibrees, though I know not 

 for what reason : Coluhris seems to be the appropriate epithet. I 

 shall here give Blyth's remarks on the generic name of the genus 

 Silvia : — " I have termed the genus by the English name, Pettichaps, 

 in preference to Willow Wren, the latter not being at all applicable 

 to these birds, and implying that they particularly frequent willows, 

 which is not the case. Pettichaps is not quite so euphonical a term 

 as could be wished ; but it is well known to most readers on Natural 

 History, as having been employed by many writers, to denote the Gar- 

 den Warbler, (Ficedula hortensis), and also the Chifchaf, (Silvia lo- 

 quax, Herbert), contradistinguished from each other by the appella- 

 tions larger and lesser. How the Garden Warbler came to be so term- 

 ed, is not easy to imagine, as it is one of the strongest billed birds in 

 its genus ; and it is as difficult to conceive how the Chifchaf came to 

 be considered as a sort of diminutive of the Garden Warbler, there 

 being no manner of resemblance between them ; but chiefly, I sup- 

 pose, from a disinclination to alter established names, however inap- 

 propriate. The terms. Greater and Lesser Pettichaps, have been 

 adopted for these two dissimilar birds by most of the writers on 

 British Ornithology. The name, Pettichaps, is certainly very ex- 

 pressive of the delicate little beaks of the genus Silvia (as now re- 

 stricted), and I have, therefore, employed the term as a general ap- 



