SYLVIA annulosa, {var. 0.) 



White-eyed Warbler. — {New Holland varieti/.) 



Generic Character. — See PI. 139. 



Specific Character. 



S. supra cinerea, infrcL albescens, capites alls uropygioque oUvaceo- 

 Jlavis ; jugulo Jlavescente ; palpebris plumis niveis insignibiis. 



Above cinereous, beneath whitish; head, wings, and rump, oHve 

 yellow ; throat yellowish ; eyes encircled by a ring of snowy 

 feathers. 



On first receiving this bird from New Holland, I vv^as in- 

 clined to think it a distinct species from the African White- 

 eyed Warbler ; but further consideration has led me to adopt 

 a different opinion : it is true that I am unacquainted with 

 any one land bird which is common to both countries, and 

 much weight should be attached to the geographic distribu- 

 tion both of families and species. These two birds, however, 

 differ in their colour, and somewhat in their size. On the 

 other hand, the White-eyed Warbler, as before observed, is 

 found both in Africa and India ; and is, therefore, probably 

 migratory. Nature, moreover, is not bound by laws to which 

 there are no exceptions ; and the leading points of resem- 

 blance between these birds are very strong. On the whole, 

 therefore, I am inclined to consider them as varieties of one 

 species, forming a solitary exception to the general dissimi- 

 larity between the birds of Africa and those of New Holland. 



Size of the Wood Wren : the head and ears are olive yel- 

 low, changing to brighter yellow on the chin, and part of the 

 throat ; the neck and back cinereous, graduating to yellowish 

 olive on the rump and upper tail covers ; wiiigs the same, 

 the inside of the quills blackish; sides of the throat cinereous; 

 body and under tail covers whitish ; the sides tinged with 

 ferruginous ; the stripe between the bill and eye is more 

 brown than black ; and the white feathers round the eye, 

 not so conspicuous as in the African variety. 



n. 165. 



