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Genus SYLVIA. 



Ficetlula apud Brisson, Orn. iii. p. 372 (1760). 

 Motacilla apud Linnaeus, Syst. Nat. i. p. 330 (1766). 

 Sylvia, Scopoli, Ann. I. Hist. Nat. p. 155 (1769). 

 Curruca apud Koch, Baier. Zool. i. p. 157 (1816). 

 Adophoneus apud Kaup, Natiirl. Syst. p. 28 (1829). 

 Monachus apud Kaup, ut supra. 

 Alsoecus apud Kaup, ut supra. 

 Epilais apud Kaup, ut supra. 

 Erythroleuca apud Kaup, ut supra. 



Ficedula apud Blyth in Rennie's Field Nat. i. p. 310 (1833). 

 Philomela apud Swainson, Classif. of B. ii. p. 240 (1837). 

 Nisoria apud Bonaparte, Comp. List, p. 15 (1838). 

 Adornis apud G. E. Gray, List of Gen. of B. p. 29 (1841). 

 Sterparola apud Bonaparte, Cat. Ucc. Eur. p. 37 (1842). 

 Pyrophthalma apud Bonaparte, ut supra (1842). 

 Melizophilus apud Cabanis, Mus. Hem. i. p. 35 (1850). 

 Diimeticola apud Von Homeyer, J. f. Orn. 1862, p. 277. 



The genus Sylvia has been considerably subdivided by various authorities, but, so far as I can 

 judge, unnecessarily so; and instead of further dividing it, I should rather be inclined to unite 

 to it one or more allied genera. Amongst the subdivisions I may name the following — viz. 

 Epilais, Kaup (type Sylvia salicaria), Alsoecus, Kaup (type Sylvia subalpina), Adophoneus, Kaup 

 (types Sylvia or-phea et Sylvia nisoria), Monachus, Kaup (type Sylvia atricapilla), Nisoria, Bp. 

 (type Sylvia nisoria), Adornis, G. E. Gray (type Sylvia hortensis), Sterparola, Bp., Erythroleuca, 

 Kaup (type Sylvia subalpina), and Pyrophthalma, Bp. (type Sylvia melanocephala), the best of 

 which appears to be Epilais, Kaup, as the Garden- Warbler differs in the form of its bill from 

 all other European Warblers. 



The present genus ranges throughout the major portion of the Palaearctic, Ethiopian, and 

 Oriental Eegions ; and thirteen species are found within the limits of the Western Palsearctic 

 Region. 



The species belonging to the genus are migratory. They feed chiefly, indeed almost exclu- 

 sively, on insects, and frequent woods, gardens, and groves. They are active and lively, and are 

 all good songsters. They build open, cup-shaped nests, usually somewhat lightly constructed, 

 though some species make tolerably strong and well-built nests ; and their eggs are spotted and 

 blotched with darker colour on a light ground. 



Sylvia rufa, the type of the genus, has the bill rather short, somewhat wide at the base, 

 decurved towards the point, which is slightly emarginate ; nostrils basal, oval, and exposed ; gape 

 furnished with a few bristles ; wings moderately long, the first quill very short, the third longest ; 

 tail slightly rounded ; tarsus covered in front with five plates and three inferior scutelke ; feet 

 rather small. 



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