974 SKETCHES OP EUROPEAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



and of the naked skin, or plate, which occupies the frontal region of 

 the Gallinule. 



The specific term, prate?isis, as indicative of circumstances of ha- 

 bitation, in which it does not materially differ from the other spe- 

 cies of Crex, is not correctly applicable to the Land Rail. Crepitans 

 or strepera, although probably not the most appropriate that might 

 be devised, would be far more eligible than pratensis. Mr. Gould's 

 figure, with all its excellence of colouring, is clumsily drawn, defec- 

 tive in the outline of the head and neck, and by no means so strik- 

 ingly characteristic of the crouching and timorous bird as the coarse 

 wood-cut of Bewick, vol. ii., page 130. 



Plate XII. — Is peculiarly interesting and important. It exhi- 

 bits all the British species belonging to the genus Sylvia, as now 

 constituted ; and clearly illustrates the characters by which three 

 birds, exceedingly difiicult of discrimination, and hitherto frequently 

 confounded, even by the experienced ornithologist, may at once be 

 distinguished from each other. 



The First of these is the Willow Wren, or Yellow Wren,-— aS^^Z- 

 via trochilus (Motacilla trochilus, Linnaeus), — Bee-fin Pouillot, ou 

 le Pouillot, Fr.j — Fitis Sanger, G. Specific Characters, according 

 to Gould : whole of the upper surface, greenish-olive ; a faint-yeL 

 low streak above the eye ; throat and breast slightly tinged with 

 yellow ; belli/ yellowish-rvhite ; under tail-coverts yellow ; legs dull 

 Jlesh-colour ; wings coveri7ig about one third of the tail. Selby, in 

 his description of this species, — Illustrations, v. i., p. 226, — has 

 erroneously referred to the succeeding species in Temminck's work. 



Second Figure. — The Chiff-Chaff, or Lesser Pettychaps, — Sylvia 

 {Motacilla) hippolais, — Fauvette de Roseaux, Petite Fauvette a poi- 

 trine jaune, Fr., — Gelebauchiger Sanger, G. Spec. Char. : infe- 

 rior in size to the preceding ; eye-streak more faint ; plumage less 

 finely tinged with yellow ; legs of an umber or blackish-brown co- 

 lour. The Least Willow Wren, of Bewick, probably belongs to 

 this species. 



Third Figure. — The Wood Wren (Larger Willow Wren, White, 

 Yellow Willow Wren, Bewick), — Sylvia sibilatrix, — sylvicola, La- 

 tham, — le Bee-fin siffleur, Fr., — Griiner Sanger, G. Spec. Char, : 

 Wing extending nearly two thirds of ike length of the tail; eye- 



