SYLVIA. BIRDS. 225 



breast and abdomen spotted with brown ; tail very long and 

 wedged. Inhabits Java Tern. PL Col. 65, fig. 2. 



M. longicaudus, Tern. Plumage olive,, with the crown reddish ; 

 quills olive brown ; tail-feathers long and narrow, the middle ones 

 very long. Inhabits China. Shaw, x. 756. 



Gen. 28. SYLVIA, Lath. Temni. 



Bill straight, slender, awl-shaped, the base deeper than broad ; 

 point of the upper mandible frequently notched, the under 

 one straight ; nostrils basal, lateral, ovoid, partly covered 

 by a membrane ; tarsus longer than the middle toe ; the ex- 

 terior toe joined at its base to the middle one ; first quill-fea- 

 ther very short, or none ; second scarcely exceeding the third ; 

 great wing-coverts much shorter than the quill-feathers. 



This group comprises most of the small singing birds of Europe. The plumage 

 of the species is plain and uniform in colour ; and in general the males differ but 

 slightly in this respect from the females. M. Temminck divides the genus into 

 two sections, the first containing such as inhabit the margins of waters and marshes, 

 and hence called Aquatic Warblers ; the second those which in summer visit our 

 woods for the purpose of incubation, and which he terms Sylvan Warblers. Most 

 of them possess much sweetness and variety of note. Except the Redbreast and 

 Dartford Warbler, all are in Britain periodical visitants. 



1. AQUATIC WARBLERS Summit of the head depressed ; wings 



short, much rounded ; tail long, graduated, often conical. 

 S. turdoides, Meyer, Tern. (Turdus arundinaceus,lLiu.) The Reed 

 Warbler. Plumage ferruginous brown above, yellowish white be- 

 neath ; a yellowish white line above the eyes ; bill yellow at its 

 base, brown towards the point ; tail rounded. 8 inches long. In- 

 habits Europe Buff. PL Enl. 513. 



S. galactotes, Tern. Plumage above of a bright red ; lateral tail- 

 feathers with a deep black spot towards the end, and the extre- 

 mity pure white ; wings of a clear brown, bordered with reddish ; 

 a brown band from the bill to the eye ; under parts white, shading 

 to reddish. 6 inches long. Inhabits Spain. Tern. Man. 182. 



S.Jiuviatilis, Meyer. Danubian Warbler. Upper mandible and 

 points of the bill brown ; plumage olive-coloured above ; throat 

 white, with longitudinal spots of olive; abdomen white ; legs flesh- 

 coloured. 5 inches long. Inhabits Germany Tern. Man. 183. 



S. locustella, Lath. Grasshopper Warbler. Bill awl-shaped ; plu- 

 mage above olive, shaded with brown and brownish-black spots ; 

 throat white, with under it a zone of oval brown spots ; tail long 

 and graduated, the coverts reddish yellow, with brown spots ; pos- 

 terior claw shorter than the toe. 5 inches long. Inhabits Europe. 

 B Selby, Illust. pi. 45,** fig. 1. 



S. certhiola, Tern. Bill strong ; upper mandible black ; plumage 

 above olive, with brown spots ; throat, neck before, and abdomen 

 white ; tail-feathers with a large ash-coloured spot below ; pos- 

 terior claw bent, longer than the toe. 5 inches long. Inhabits 

 Southern Russia, Tern. Man. 186. 

 VOL i. p 



