384 iMELIZOPHILUS PROVINCIALIS. 



wing white, the lateral tail-feathers tipped and margined with 

 greyisliAvhite. The cheeks are of the same colour as the back, 

 the throat, fore-neck, breast and sides, reddish-brown or light 

 reddish-purple; the chin with some whitish streaks, the belly 

 white ; the lower tail-coverts purplish-grey, as is the lower 

 surface of the wings and tail. 



Length to end of tail 5 inches ; bill along the ridge ^| ; 

 wing from flexure 2/^ ; tail 2i^g ; tarsus j% ; hind toe j% ; 

 its claw ^2 '•> second toe i^|, its claw j% ; third toe ^|, its claw 

 j% ; fourth toe |-g, its claw ^%. 



Female. — The female resembles the male, but has the tints 

 lighter. JNI. Temminck observes that there is on the throat a 

 greater number of fine whitish streaks than in the male, which, 

 if very old, often presents no traces of them. 



Habits. — This bird was first discovered as British by La- 

 tham, who communicated his observations to Pennant, by 

 whom it w^as described under the name of Dartford Warbler, 

 the specimens having been killed on Bexley Heath, near that 

 place, on the 10th of April 1773. Since that period it has 

 been found on furzy commons in Kent, Surrey, Middlesex, 

 Devonshire, Cornwall, Hampshire, and in several other coun- 

 ties, but has not been observed farther north than Liecester- 

 shire. According to the account given by Montagu and others, 

 it is a permanent resident, inhabiting furze thickets, among 

 W'hich it glides with the greatest activity, flying with short 

 jerks in the manner of the Bushchats, and feeding on small 

 insects, which it frequently seizes on wing, returning to its 

 perch. Its song is weak and shrill, but often repeated, and 

 is emitted either when the bird is stationed on a projecting 

 twig, or hovering over a bush or thicket, in the manner of the 

 White-throat and Bushchats. From these circumstances, it 

 is probable that the true station of this bird is among the 

 Saxicolinae, between Accentor modularis and Fruticicola Ru- 

 betra. It is very shy, and on being approached conceals itself 

 among the shrubs, creeping in the quiet and hideling manner 

 of the Hedge Chanter. It was first ascertained to breed 



