PHYLLOPNEUSTE. 147 



Nostrils elliptical, pervious, in the fore part of tlie nasal 

 membrane, which is feathered behind. Eyes of moderate 

 size. External aperture of ear large and roundish. Tarsi 

 slender, rather long, with the scutella distinct ; toes of mo- 

 derate length, slender ; claws moderate, arched, much com- 

 pressed, very acute. Plumage blended ; wings rather short, 

 rounded ; the first quill very small, the fourth and fifth long- 

 est ; tail long, straight, graduated. 



82. MELIZOPHILUS PROVINCIALIS. PROVENCE FURZELING. 



Upper parts blackish-grey ; fore part of neck and sides of 

 the body reddish-brown, abdomen white ; tail long, graduated ; 

 bill brownish-black, with the base of the lower mandible 

 orange ; tarsi and toes light reddish-brown, claws dusky. Fe- 

 male similar, but with the tints lighter, and the throat streaked 

 with white. 



Male, 5, . ., 2 T \, ? \, T , T V, T \. 



This bird, first discovered as British by Latham, occurs on 

 commons in several of the southern counties of England. It 

 is a permanent resident, inhabiting furze thickets, among 

 which it glides with the greatest activity, flying with short 

 jerks in the manner of the Bush-chats and White-throat, and 

 feeding on small insects, which it frequently seizes on wing, 

 returning to its perch. Its nest is loosely constructed, like 

 that of the White-throat. The eggs also resemble those of 

 that bird, being greenish-white, freckled all over with oliva- 

 ceous brown and cinereous. 



Dartford Warbler. Furze Wren. 



Motacilla provincialis, Gmel. Syst. Nat. i. 958. Sylvia pro- 

 vincialis, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. i. 211. Melizophilus pro- 

 vincialis, Selby, Illust. i. 219. Melizophilus provincialis, 

 Provence Furzeling, MacGillivray, Brit. Birds, ii. 383. 



GENUS XLYI. PHYLLOPNEUSTE. WOOD- WREN. 



Bill rather short, very slender, straight, rather depressed 

 at the base, compressed toward the end ; upper mandible 

 with the dorsal line straight, slightly declinate toward the 

 end, the ridge very narrow at the base, the notches distinct, 

 the tip declinate, very narrow, but truncate ; lower mandible 

 with the dorsal line very slightly convex, the edges erect, the 

 tip acute. Mouth of moderate width ; tongue slender, sagit- 



