256 BIRDS. 



white on the tail, and is of a hrownisli grey, or olive above, and of a 

 yellowish white beneath*. 



Bechstein has separated from the other Fauvettes his Accentor, which 

 is the Fauvette des Alpes, BufF. — Mot. alpina, Gm. ; Enl. 668, or the 

 Pe^o^ Vieill. Gal. 156; Nauni.92, if (2); because the edges of its slen- 

 der bill, which is more exactly conical than that of the other Motacilla, 

 are slightly depressed. 



It is an ash-coloured bird, with a white throat, sprinkled with 

 black ; two rows of white spots on the wing ; some bright red on the 

 flanks. It is found in the pastures of the upper Alps, where it feeds 

 on insects, and whence, in winter, it descends into the villages in 

 search of grain, &c. 



I think I have observed the same bill in the Fauvette d'hiver. 



Mot. modularis, L.; Traine-buissons, &c.; Enl. 615, 1; Naum. 

 92, 3, 4;}:. The only species that remains in France during the 

 winter, and that in some measure relieves the dreariness of the sea- 

 son by its delightful notes. It is of a fawn colour, spotted with 

 black above, and a slaty ash colour beneath. It builds twice a year, 

 and in the summer proceeds to the North, and seeks the mountain 

 forests. During the winter, when insects are not to be had, it is 

 contented with grain. 



The gizzard of these two birds is more fleshy than that of the 

 other Fauvettes §. We may add to them, 



Ace. montanellus, Tern.; Naum. 92. A bird from the south-east 

 of Europe, which does not visit France. 



We may also distinguish some long and cuneiform tailed foreign 

 Motacillse, which have been long left among the Fauvettes ||. 



Some of the species are very skilful in the construction of their 



* The descriptions of the Fauvettes are so vague, and the greater part of their 

 figures — those of Nauman excepted — are so bad, that it is ahnost impossible to de- 

 termine their species. Each author arranges them differently. Our descriptions, 

 therefore, may be confidently depended upon, but our synouymes not so much so; 

 we think, however, we agree with Mess. Nauman and Roux. 



To the species abovemeutioned, must be added: Sijlv. ruscicola, Roux; — S. passe- 

 rina, Col. 24, 1 ;— 5. sarda, Ih. 2;—S. Nuttereri, lb. Z\—S. subalpina, Boimelli, or 

 Leucopogon, Meyer, Col. 6^ 2 and 251, 2 and 3, Roux, 218. 



N. B. According to Savi, the S. passerina, Tem. Col. 29, 4, is the young male of 

 the S. subalpina —The Pitchon {S. ferruginea), Enl. 635, 1; Roux, 219. The small 

 species lead to Regulus. 



t It is also the Sturnus montamis, and the S. coUaris of Gmelin. 



X I see this approximation has been adopted by Mess. Temm. and Nauman. 



§ Nitsch., ap. Naum., 11, p. 939. 



II Mot. fuscala, Gm. Enl. 584, I; — Molacilla macrotira, Gm. Enl. 752, 2; or the 

 Capolier, Vaill. 129, 130, \ ■,—Malurus galactodes, T., Col. 65, \\—Mal. marginalis, 

 T. lb. 2; — Mai. damans, Ruppel. pi. 2; — Mai. squamiceps, Id. xii. — Mot. suhfiava, 

 Gm. Enl. 584, 2, probably the same as the Citrin, Vaill., Afr., 127;— the Double 

 sourcil, Id. 128. It is partly from this subdivision that Mess. Vieill. and Temui. 

 have taken their genus Merion or Malurus ; I should not, however, like (he former, 

 place it in the Mot. cyanea, Gm. which has the bill of a Sasicola. 



N. B. The Malurus galactodes, Tem. has become the genus Megalurus of Vi- 

 gors and Horsfield. 



