278 SKETCHES OP EUROPEAN OHNITHOLOGY. 



Collurio — formerly Lanius — meridionalis, — Pie-Grieche Meridio- 

 nale, Fr. ; a native of Spain and South Europe : distinguished 

 from Collurio excuhitor, by superiority of size, and especially the 

 fine vinous tinge of the breast-plumage ; from Lanius minor, by its 

 shorter wings and cuneiform tail. Habits and nidification unknown. 



Plate II. — We have here three exquisite figures of the Starling, 

 — Sturnus vulgaris. — E'tourneau vulgaire, Fr., — Gemeiner Star, 

 G., — exhibiting its peculiarities of plumage in the young — , and its 

 seasonal variations in the adult bird. Verily may we assert that, 

 until now, we have never seen justice done, by the hand of the ar- 

 tist, to this beautiful creature. The subject of our plate and S. 

 unicolor, are the only European species of the Starling genus. 



Plate III. — The Avocet, — Recurviroslra Avocetia.- — Avocette 

 a nuque noire, F7\y — Avocetta o Becco Storto, It., — der Blauf iissige 

 Wasser Sabler, G. Temminck's French designation of this elegant 

 bird is peculiarly apposite : since the black colour of the back of the 

 neck serves at once to distinguish the European Avocet from the 

 three extra. European species, — R. Americana, rubricollis, and orieti^ 

 talis, — of this small genus. As the legs of the American s})ecies are 

 of a " light blue" colour, — Wilson, Amer. Ornithology, v. iii., p. 30, 

 —the German, blauf iissiger, is obviously inapplicable as a distinc- 

 tive epithet of the European bird. The C alba, of Gmelin, is not 

 an Avocet. 



Plate IV. — The Snow-Finch, — Fringilla nivalis, — Gros-bec 

 niverolle, Fr.^ — der Schnefink, G., — a male and female, charmingly 

 delineated. Inhabits the Alps, Pyrenees, and other mountainous 

 districts. 



Plate V. — The Harlequin Duck, — Clangula — Alias — histrio- 

 nica, — Canard a Collier, ou Histrion,Fr., — Anatra con Collare, It., — 

 die Kragen-Ente, G. A splendid bird, splendidly delineated in 

 two figures, male and female. 



Plate VI. represents two species of Thrush, — Turdus musicus, 

 — Merle grive, Fr., — Tordo Botaccio, It., — Singdrossel, G. / and 

 T. iliacus, — Merle Mauvis, — Rothdrossel. The former, our favou- 

 rite Song-Thrush, is principally distinguishable from the other 

 British species by the yellow — , and the Redwing, — by the black 

 and yellow — colour of the space between the bill and eye, and 

 might aptly receive their respective specific designations from this 

 invariable character. — See Analyst, vol. iii., p. 269. Both figures 

 are beautifully executed by Mr. Gould ; but the flank of T. iliacus 

 is rather too highly coloured : and the tails of both, it strikes us, 

 are unnaturally stunted. 



