258 THE COMMON CHIFF-CHAFF. 



greyish blue ; the under mandible yellowish, with a tinge of 

 red ; the angles yellowish, and the opening of the mouth lemon 

 yellow. The tongue is yellow, abrupt at the point, and fur- 

 nished with three bristles. The iris is dusky brown. The 

 forehead is low, flat, angular, and pointed. The eye-brows 

 and eye-lids are yellow, and a yellow line runs from the nos- 

 trils to the eyes. The crown of the head, neck, back, and 

 whig-coverts are olive grey, inclining more to green on the 

 rump. The shoulder of the wing (campterium, ILLIGER) is 

 yellow : the primary quill-feathers are dusky brown, with a 

 slight fringe of olive grey ; the rest of the quill-feathers have 

 a broader fringe of greyish white, which, when the whig is 

 closed, forms a whitish patch. The tail is two inches long, 

 the feathers being of equal length, and of very nearly the same 

 colours and tinge as the wing-quills. All the under parts of 

 the body are of a fine clear lemon colour. The legs are five- 

 sixths of an inch high, and of a lead colour ; the claws greyish 

 brown. The whole length is five inches and a half ; the ex- 

 tent of the wings nine inches. 



The female is sometimes, but not always, rather paler than 

 the male. The young have the yellow parts very pale. 



A species veiy similar to this has been discovered in Italy 

 by Prince C. Buonaparte the Sylvia icterina ? of Vieillot, 

 which frequents marshy places. 



THE COMMON CHIFF-CHAFF. 



Sylva loquax, HERBERT; S H'ippolais, MONTAGU ; but not- the S. Hippolais of the 

 Continental authors, which is S. polyglotta. 



COLONEL MONTAGU AND MR. SWEET*S ACCOUNT OF THE 

 CHIFF-CHAFF. 



THIS bird weighs about two or nearly three drachms ; the 

 length varies from four inches and - half to five inches. 



