3108 Birds. 



transcribe below, was kindly furnished by Mr. Milner to the October 

 number of this periodical. 



" My bird is evidently a female, and was observed in company with 

 its mate for a considerable time before it was shot. The other bird 

 had a black head, and the description I received, left no doubt on my 

 mind that it was a male bird of Sylvia Orphea. The bird, of which I 

 send you a description, was shot in a small plantation near the town 

 of Wetherby, on the 6th of July, 1848, and was, unfortunately, very 

 ill set up by the man who obtained it : it had the appearance of hav- 

 ing been engaged in incubation, from the state of its plumage. Mr. 

 Graham, my bird-stuffer, at York, hearing that a very uncommon bird 

 had been shot, went over to Wetherby, and, fortunately, obtained the 

 specimen for my collection. It has the beak black and very strong, 

 eight lines in length, the upper mandible very much grooved. The 

 whole upper part of the plumage dark ash-coloured brown. The outer 

 feather of the tail white ; the second on each side edged with dirty 

 white, the rest of a brownish black. Chin dirty white ; throat and 

 belly brownish white ; under surface of the wings and vent light brown. 

 Legs very strong ; toes and claws black. Total length, 6 inches 3 

 lines. Since procuring this specimen, I have received a male bird 

 from France, with four eggs, and send you a description, in case any 

 other specimen may fall into the hands of your readers. The head 

 and cheeks to behind the eyes black, on the top of the head the black 

 blends itself into ash-coloured gray, and so continues over the upper 

 parts of the plumage. Wings almost black, edged with ash-coloured 

 brown ; the external feathers on each side of the tail white, the inside 

 edges light brown ; the second tipped with white, the rest blackish 

 brown. Throat and belly of a pure white ; breast and flanks white, 

 with a very delicate rose tint ; vent and under coverts of the tail of a 

 light brownish red. The lower mandible of a yellowish brown at its 

 base, the upper one black, much grooved, and thick. The legs, claws 

 and toes black and strong. Length the same as the female. This 

 bird is very common in Italy and the southern parts of France and 

 Piedmont, and is sometimes found in Switzerland. It builds its 

 nest sometimes in low bushes, and not uncommonly in holes of rocks 

 and walls, also on the roofs of deserted houses, and lays four to five 

 eggs, white, irregularly marked with yellowish brown spots, chiefly at 

 the larger end, about the size of the garden warbler, but more pointed 

 at the small end. This description, which agrees most accurately with 

 my birds and eggs, I have taken from the ' Manuel d'Omithologie ' of 

 M. Temminck, tome i. p. 200."— Zool. vii. 2588. 



