SKETCHES OF EUROPEAN ORNITHOLOGY. 267 



Fr. — Goldhammer, G. A pair of these well-known, but most ele- 

 gantly-attired birds are delineated with the pencil of truth and deli- 

 cacy. One would almost fancy them about to take wing. — Of the 

 Yellow Bunting we need say nothing. Who does not know it ? — 

 who has not admired it perched on the road-side hedge, along which 

 it flits as you approach, from distance to distance, and still not far 

 away, as if desirous yet too timid to be noticed ? This bird is spread 

 over Europe, but appears to be confined within the boundaries of 

 this quarter of the globe, as it has never been met with in collections 

 from other quarters. 



Marsh Harrier, Circus rufus, Bris. — Busard harpage, ou de ma- 

 rais, Fr. — Brandweighe, Wasserweighe, & Sumpfweiher, G. We 

 do not quite like this plate, by the pencil of Mr. Lear. The bird 

 standing upright is as stiff as a badly mounted specimen ; and its 

 companion lying down, setting the head aside, is not much like any- 

 thing that claims the name of bird, save that it is clothed with 

 feathers, which, however, are rather like large scales than fea- 

 thers, and so might easily be mistaken. — " The size of this bird" 

 observes Mr. Gould, " renders it so conspicuous, that it cannot fail 

 to attract attention wherever it appears : it is consequently most pro- 

 bable that the greater number of those which are seen in our island 

 are not native bred specimens, but have wandered from the adjacent 

 continent ; and we are confirmed in this opinion by the circumstance 

 of most of the birds which have been shot being in the youthful or 

 immature plumage. We know, also, that young birds are in the 

 habit of wandering greater distances from their birth-place than 

 adults. So great indeed are the chances against their attaining a 

 state of mature plumage in our island, that we do not recollect a sin- 

 gle instance of a specimen, in the plumage of the bird figured in our 

 plate, having been killed here. That it is many years in attaining 

 this plumage is evident, and it is equally certain that it breeds while 

 yet in the deep chocolate coloured plumage by which it is distinguish- 

 ed during the first and several succeeding years." — The Moor Har- 

 rier is widely distributed, being found in the low marshy districts of 

 Europe, Asia, and Africa. It is the Falco ceruginosus of Linnaeus, 

 Falco albanella con il collare, Stor, des. Ucc. V. I. 



Barred Warbler, Curruca nisoria, (Nisoria undata, Bonap.) — 

 Becfin raye, Fr. — Gesperbter grasmiicke, G. The figure of this 

 bird is very excellent — It is a native of the northern regions of 

 Europe, occurring abundantly in Sweden and in the north of Ger- 

 many and Hungary. Mr. Gould observes, that it is with hesitation 



