NOBTHEBN WILLOW WREN. 159 



Sylvia or Phyllopneuste iorealis forms, says Blasius, "^together with 

 P. javanica, a natural group amongst the Leaf Warblers, distmguished 

 from the other species by their considerably stronger body, by the 

 bill being stronger and wider at its base, by the yellow band formed 

 by the tips of the greater wing coverts, by the ends of the quills 

 being slender, and distinctly emarginated at their terminations, by 

 the bright yellow sharply defined tips of the tail feathers, and by 

 the straight tail." 



'^The shining yellow spot on the wing figured by Von Midden- 

 dorff, in his Travels, vol. i., pi. 16, fig. 2, forms a half perfect bright 

 wing band, and ranges both species next to the Phyllopneuste pro- 

 regiilus, Pallas, (^Motacilla superciliosa, Latham, Regulus modestus, 

 Gould,) which has two yellow wing bands, and similar emarginated 

 tips to the quills. 



"This bird forms with P. javanica a natural group under the 

 Foliage Warblers. Upper part of the body and the edges of the 

 wing and tail feathers yellowish grass green; vertex gradually darker 

 coloured, grey green. The tail feathers slender, and have their 

 greatest breadth a fourth from base; the inner web here turns in a 

 disproportionate manner towards the shaft. The whitish tips of the 

 first tail feathers are broadest near the point of the shaft on the 

 inner web. In the above characters it differs entirely from P. Javanica. 

 The under part of both species is white along the middle, with a 

 faint brimstone yellow flush. Feathers of the sides of the head and 

 the front part of the neck are on the tips and edges clouded with 

 grey, while in P. javanica these parts are clear yellowish white. The 

 flanks shade off" into the colours of the back, with greenish grey. 

 The small first primary is only a little longer than the upper wing 

 coverts, third and fourth form point of wing, fifth larger than sixth, 

 smaller than second. Tail tolerably straight, two middle feathers 

 somewhat lengthened; beak dark horn blue colour, with yellow 

 flesh-coloured edges. Feet bright-coloured in javanica, brown grey; 

 in horealis bluish green." 



S. javanica. 



DIMENSIONS. Inch. Lines. 



Length of wing 2 3.2. 



Length of tail 1 7.8. 



Head with beak I 1.3. 



Eeak from nasal orifice '. . 3.4. 



Tarsi 9.0. 



First wing feathers longer 



than the upper coverts 3.0. 1.0. 40. 



S. borealis. 



S. icterina. 



Incli. Lines. 



Inch. Lines. 



2 5.4. 



2 60. 



18 8. 



1 11.5. 



1 2.2. 



1 0.6. 



3.6. 



2.6. 



9.0. 



8.8. 



