346 SYLVIA HORTENSIS. 



straight and sloping until near the tip, which is a little de- 

 clinate and narrow, the ridge rather distinct, the sides convex, 

 the edges sharp and slightly overlapping, with a faint notch ; 

 the lower mandible with the angle of moderate length, rather 

 narrow, the dorsal line ascending and very slightly convex, the 

 sides sloping outwards and nearly flat at the base, convex to- 

 w^ards the end, the edges sharp and direct ; the gape-line nearly 

 straight. Both mandibles are concave internally, with a pro- 

 minent median line. 



The head is oblong, and of moderate size ; the whole form 

 slender. The aperture of the eye two-twelfths in diameter, 

 that of the ear two and a half ; the nostrils elliptical, and a 

 twelfth and a half long. The feet are of ordinary length, 

 slender ; the tarsus much compressed, acute behind, anteriorly 

 with eight scutella, of which the upper are rather indistinct ; 

 the toes slander, compressed, the hind toe broad and flat at the 

 base, with eight scutella above, the second with six, the third 

 with ten, the fourth with nine scutella. The claws are of mo- 

 derate length, arched, extremely compressed, laterally grooved, 

 acute. 



The plumage is soft and blended ; the feathers oblong, with 

 loose filaments, and a very slender plumule. Those at the base 

 of the bill bristle-tipped ; the bristle-feathers scarcely distin- 

 guishable. The wings are of moderate length, broad and rather 

 pointed ; the quills eighteen ; the primaries rounded, except 

 the first, which is extremely small, being only a fifth of the 

 length of the second, which is as long as the fourth, and about 

 a twelfth and a half of an inch shorter than the third ; the se- 

 condaries abruptly and obliquely rounded. The tail straight, 

 almost even, of moderate length, its feathers rather narrow, 

 and obliquely rounded. 



The bill is of a dusky brown, the base and edges of the lower 

 mandible yellow, the inside of the mouth orange. The iris is 

 hazel. The feet and claws greyish-brown. The general colour 

 of the upper parts is light greyish-brown, tinged with olive ; 

 the sides of the neck brownish-grey. The quills and coverts 

 are dusky brown, slightly margined with the same colour as 

 that of the back. The tail is of the same dusky brown, its 



