SYLVIAD^E. 



SYLVIAD.E. 



that it U not always easy to ascertain the spot from whence they 

 proceed. While thus engaged in quest of small caterpillar*, it seems 

 almost insensible to obtrusion, and familiarly searches for its prey, 

 however near we may approach." (' Manual.') 



Yellow-Crowned Warbler (Sylricola coronala). 



8. trtiira, the Summer Yellow-Bird, is remarkable for iU skilful 

 prevention of the designs of the Cow Troopial. [MoLOTHRUS.] " It 

 is amusing," ays Nuttall, " to observe the sagacity of this little bird 

 in disposing of the eggs of the vagrant and parasitic Cow Troopial. 

 The egg, deposited before the laying of the rightful tenant, too large 

 for ejectment, is ingeniously incarcerated in the bottom of the nest, 

 and a new lining placed above it, so that it U never hatched to prove 

 the dragon of the brood. Two instances of this kind occurred to the 

 observation of my friend Mr. Charles Pickering, and last summer I 

 obtained a neat with the adventitious egg about two-thirds buried, 

 the upper edge only being visible, so that in many instances it is 

 probable that this specie* escapes from the unpleasant imposition of 

 becoming a nurse to the sable orphan of the Cow-Bird. She however 

 acts faithfully the part of a foster-parent when the egg is laid after 

 her own." 



Epthianura is an Australian genus. 



. aibifrotu, White-Fronted Epthianura. The male has the fore- 

 head, face, throat, and all the under surface pure white ; occiput black ; 

 chest crossed by a broad crescent of deep black, the pomta of which 



Whtte-FronUd KpthUnura (Kftkimura atbijront}, mile. (Gould.) 



ran op the sides of the neck *nd join the black of the occiput ; upper 

 surface dark-gray with a patch of dark-brown in the centre of each 



feather ; wings dark-brown ; upper tail-coverts black ; two centre tail- 

 feathers dark-brown, the remainder dark-brown, with a large oblong 

 patch of white on the inner web at the tip; irides in some beautiful 

 reddiih-buff, in others yellow with a slight tinge of red on the outer 

 edge of the pupil ; bill and feet black. 



The female has the crown of the head, all the upper surface, wings 

 and toil grayiah-brown, with a slight indication of the oblong white 

 spot on the inner webs of the latter ; throat and under surface bufl'y- 

 wbite ; a slight crescent of black on the chest (Gould.) 



Mr. Gould first met with this species in a state of nature on the 

 small islands in Bass's Strait, where, he says, it had evidently been 

 breeding, as he observed several old nest* in the Barilla and other 

 stunted bushes which clothe other isolated spots, particularly chalky 

 and green islands immediately contiguous to it in Flinders. He did 

 not observe it in Van Diemen's Land or to the southward of Uio 

 localities above mentioned. He thinks however that it extends over 

 the whole of the southern portion of the Australian continent, for he 

 has specimens which were killed at Swan River, in South Australia, 

 and in Now South Wales. The extent of its range northward is not, 

 he remarks, known. He had never seen examples from the north coast. 



Curruca has a short rather stout bill, upper mandible slightly curved 

 at the point, which is emarginated ; gape with a few hairs. Nostrils 

 basal, lateral, oval, exposed. Wings of moderate size; the first quill- 

 feather very short, the second longer than the fifth, the third the 

 longest in the wing. Legs with the tarsus short, but longer than the 

 middle toe; the toes and claws short, and formed for perching. 



C. cinerea, the Whitethroat; Motacitla lylvia and Sylvia cinerea of 

 authors. It is the Fauvette Gride, or Qrisette, of the French ; Mac- 

 chetta and Sterpazzola of the Italians ; Elapper Gragmucke, Fable, 

 Grauliche, Rostgraue, and Graukbpfige Heckengrasmiicke of the 

 Germans ; Kogsnetter and Mesar of the Swedes ; Common White- 

 throat, Muggy, Muggy-Cut-Throat. Whey-Beard, Wheetie-Why-Bird, 

 Muff, Charlie Muftie, Peggy, Peggy- White-Throat, Churr, and Whautie 

 of the English ; and Y Gwddfgwyn of the Welsh. 



The male has the top of the head and space between the eye and the 

 bill ash-colour; other parts gray, strongly tinged with rust-colour, 

 which last predominates principally on the top of the back ; wings 

 blackish, all their coverts bordered with very bright rusty ; quills 

 edged with this colour, except the external one, which is edged with 

 white ; throat and middle of the belly pure white ; breast slightly 

 tinged with rose-colour; sides and abdomen rusty-gray; tail deep- 

 brown ; quills of equal length, except the most external, which is 

 much the shortest ; this last has the outside barb and the extremity 

 pure white ; the succeeding feather is only terminated with whitish. 

 Length 5 inches. 



The female has the tints less pure and the upper parts more clouded 

 with rusty ; white of the throat and of the external tail-feather clouded 

 with rusty ; no rosy tinge on the breast 



The young have more rust-colour on the upper parts ; space between 

 the eye and the bill white, and the rusty borders of the wing-coverts 

 wider; external quill edged with rusty instead of white. 



This bird is found in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Russia, Siberia, 

 Germany, Holland, France, Provence, Spain, Sardinia, Italy, Smyrna, 

 Trebizond. It is a regular summer visitor to the British Islands, 

 arriving about the third week in April, and departing in autumn. 



Common Whitethroat (Oumuxt cinerta). 



The principal food of the Whitethroat consists of insects : it is very 

 fond of caterpillars, and is a considerable consumer of berries and 

 mailer garden-fruits, such as raspberries, currants, kc., among which 

 they and their young make much havoc in July and August. A dwarf 



