DARTFORD WARBLER. 145 



The next sub-family, the Sylvianae, composed 

 of what are considered the true or typical War- 

 blers, is very extensive, and comprises a great 

 variety of forms, exhibiting representations of 

 most of those which constitute the great family 

 to which it belongs. The typical species are 

 arboreal and insectivorous, and are characterized 

 by a comparatively small size and much activity. 

 The form we shall first notice is an aberrant 

 one. 



MELIZOPHILUS, Leach. Generic characters. 

 Head large ; bill slightly arched from the 

 base ; tip deflexed and notched ; rictus 

 slightly bristled ; wings with the first quill 

 very small ; third, fourth, and fifth nearly 

 equal, and longest ; tail rather lengthened, 

 and soft ; tarsi and feet strong. Type, M. 

 provincialis. 



Europe New Holland, or at least represented 

 there by a bird very closely allied in form, 

 structure, and colour. 



THE DARTFORD WARBLER, MELIZOPHILUS 

 PROVINCIALIS, Leach. Sylvia Dartfordiensis, 

 Lath. Dartford Warbler of British authors Of 

 the habits of this interesting bird, we have no 

 experience from personal observation ; but from 

 the accounts given of it by Montague and its 

 more recent describers, we consider them more 

 nearly allied to those of curruca than of the true 



K 



