442 SYLVIIDjE. 



paper before mentioned (page 428), clearly characterized the 

 present species, wrongly identified it with the M. trochilus of 

 Linnaeus, calling the Willow- Wren M. fitis. The specific 

 name, collybita, here adopted for the Chiffchaff, was bestowed 

 in 1817 by Vieillot, but it is to be remarked that he has 

 most likely misspelt this word, though as he may have had 

 some authority for the form he used, the Editor does not feel 

 justified in writing it otherwise*. About the same time 

 Thomas Forster termed this species Trochilus minor (Synopt. 

 Cat. Brit. Birds, pp. 14 and 54),. and .it is questionable 

 whether that specific name may not have priority. Two years 

 later Prof< Nilsson, not aware of his having been anticipated, 

 described the species as new, calling it Sylvia abietina 

 (K. Vetensk. Acad. Handl. 1819, p. 115). 



The very natural group, to which this and the two 

 preceding species, with some others which do not inhabit 

 Britain, belong, has been variously termed by naturalists. 

 By some authors, though their reason is not clear, the group 

 is looked upon as containing the type of Sylvia. By 

 others Brisson's generic name Ficedula has been used ; but 

 that is clearly synonymous with the Linnaean Motacilla 

 to which it must yield place. Asilus, introduced by a .few 

 writers from Moehring, had been long preoccupied in ento- 

 mology. Then again it has been called Phyllopneuste t, 

 under the mistaken idea that a genus of that name was 

 founded by Meyer. Phylloscopus, here adopted, seems to be 

 unquestionably the proper term. 



* Vieillot gave the name because in some parts of Normandy the bird from its 

 note is called " Compleur d'argent," or "Money-changer." Now the ordinary 

 Greek word having this meaning is xoAAv/Wr^j collybistes, and the Editor is 

 unable to find that such a form as collybita was ever in use. 



f This is a nonsense word, probably originating in a slip of the pen or a mis- 

 print. Meyer used Phyllopseustce, meaning " Leaf-simulators", for a section of 

 the genus Sylvia, just as he also used Saxicolce and Calamodytce (see page 368, 

 note), but only in the plural form, and never generically. Phyllopneuste does 

 not occur in any of his books. 



