INSESSORES. PHILOMELA. 205 



From the corners of the mouth to the eyes runs a pale 

 streak. Eyelids pale yellowish-white. The whole of 

 the upper plumage oil-green, tinged with brown ; the 

 quills being margined paler. Throat, breast, and belly 

 yellowish- white ; deeper in colour upon the breast and 

 flanks. Tail cuneated, and rather long. Legs long, 

 dusky-brown ; the hind toe strong, and armed with a 

 lone; hooked claw. 



Genus PHILOMELA, Sifjjns. NIGHTINGALE. 



GENERIC CHARACTERS. 



Bill of mean strength, strait ; culmen rounded ; the tip 

 of the upper mandible slightly deflected and emarginated ; 

 lower mandible as strong as the upper. Gape smooth. Nos- 

 trils basal, lateral, round, pierced in a large membrane. 

 Wings of mean length ; the first quill very short ; the second 

 of the same length as the fifth ; the third and fourth nearly 

 equal to each other, and the longest of all. Tail slightly 

 rounded. Legs having the tarsi long ; feet adapted for 

 perching, and also for hopping upon the ground ; claws mo- 

 derately curved, and very sharp. 



The birds of this the typical genus of the present sub- 

 family, are famed for their vocal powers, of which our 

 Nightingale is an eminent example. They differ from the 

 nearly alHed genus Curruca (Bechst.) in having the bill 

 wider near the gape, and less compressed towards the tip. 

 Their legs are also longer, and the feet not formed so entirely 

 for perching. 



