SKETCHES OF EUROPEAN ORNITHOLOGY. 315 
us, the Moustache Tern,— Viralva—olim Sterna—leucopareia,— 
lHirondelle-de-mer moustac, F’r.,—the leading characters, as traced 
by Temminck, are: Bill and feet lake-red. Middle toe with its claw 
much longer than the tarsus. Tail slightly forked, and surpassed, in 
length, by the wings (at least) an inch and half. This new and 
beautiful Tern was discovered, by Natterer of Vienna, in the south of 
Hungary. Temminck has, also, found it in the marshes near Capo 
d’'Istria, and on the coasts of Dalmatia: and, on one occasion, three 
individuals were killed on the coast of Picardy. It feeds on marsh- 
insects and aquatic worms. Propagation unknown. Of the sound- 
ness of the principles on which the species, now constituting the genus 
Viralva, have been separated from Sterna, we are, at present, un- 
able to offer an opinion. The specific name of the subject before us, 
is derived from the pure-white colour of the feathers investing the 
regions of the face and ear. 
Pirate XIV. exhibits delightful figures of two species of Warbler, 
the Moustached,— Salicaria melanopogon,—la Bec-fin 4 moustaches 
noires, Fr. ;—and the Aquatic,—S. aquatica,—le B. aquatique, 
Fr.,—Rohrsanger, Binsen Sanger, G. They are, both, natives of 
Italy and South Europe, and insectivorous. The habits of the first 
are little known. The nest of the latter, constructed améng the 
stems of aquatic plants, contains four or five eggs, of a yellowish-ash 
colour, marked with greyish-olive specks. 
Pirate XV. The Common Bittern,—Botawrus—olim Ardea— 
stellaris,—Héron grand butor, Fr.,—Scarza stellare, Z¢.,—Grosse 
Rohrdommel, G.,—Roode Roerdomp, D. Of this well-known and 
beautiful bird, Mr. Gould’s figure, although rather finely coloured, is 
unusually defective in the outline. The head, neck and legs, are 
much too large for the body of the animal; and the fierce and noble 
attitude which it frequently assumes, has been wofully lost sight of. 
The Bittern is of shy and solitary habits: its domicile, the reedy 
marsh ; and evening the hour of its predatory excursions. Its food 
consists of the smaller Mammifera, lizards, frogs, fishes, Mollusca, 
leeches, and aquatic insects. The nest, constructed of sticks and 
reeds, among the thickest herbage at the water’s edge, contains four 
or five eggs of “an uniform pale brown,”*—or, according to Tem- 
* We are somewhat surprized at this assertion of Mr. Gould. The few 
Bittern’s eggs which we have had an opportunity of inspecting, have invari- 
ably been, as Selby correctly describes them, of a “pale asparagus-green co- 
lour.” We regret our inability to appeal to the authority of Hewitson, on 
