THE CHIFF-CHAFF. 



SYLVIA RUFA OF CONTINENTAL AUTHORS. 



SYLVIA HIPPOLAiS OF BRITISH AUTHORS. 



Upper parts olive-green tinged with yellow ; above the eyes a narrow, faint, 

 yellowish white streak ; under parts yellowish white ; feathers of the leg dirty 

 wliite ; second primary equal to the seventh ; third, fourth, fifth, and sixth 

 with the outer web sloped off at the extremity ; under wing-coverts x">rinirosc- 

 yellow ; feet slender, dark brown. Length four inches and a half ; breadth 

 seven and a quarter. Eggs white, sparingly spotted with dark jiurple or black. 



"Whatever question tliere may "be whetlier tlie name of 

 Willow- warbler be appropriately applied to the last species, 

 there can be no doubt that the Chiff-chaff is well named. 

 Let any one be asked in tlie month of May to walk into a 

 wood and to hold up his hand when he heard a bird call 

 itself by its own name, "Chiff-chaff," he could not possibly 

 fall into an error. The bird is so common, that it would 

 be difficult to walk a mile in a woodland district Avithout 



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