Birds. 2413 



similar to that of the lesser whitethroat, though rather smaller, — but then the eggs 

 puzzled me not a little : they were rosy white, with a few well-defined dark brown 

 spots on each, much resembling those of the chiff-chaff; but knowing the nest of the 

 chiff-chaff is domed over, and constructed of different materials to the one in question, 

 — which (as far as I can remember) was built of fine grass with a little wool inter- 

 mixed, — and not knowing any other British bird to which I could assign the eggs, 

 I put them by in despair : they are, however, in safety, although I am sorry to say 

 the nest is lost. Do you think they can belong to the Sylvia Hippolais ? If so, I 

 shall consider myself not a little fortunate in obtaining them. — Henry Benson ; TH- 

 nity College, Cambridge, March 2, 1849. 



Notes on the different Species of Willow Wren. — Your correspondent Mr. Lean 

 has an interesting and a very perspicuous paper (Zool. 2346) on the different species 

 of willow wrens, as they are popularly called, — a group of birds about which natural- 

 ists do not even yet appear to be agreed, and with respect to which it is undoubtedly 

 difficult to arrive at a definite and satisfactory conclusion. He is desirous, in parti- 

 cular, to be informed if anything certain is known as to the egg of the Sylvia Hippo- 

 lais, or melodious willow wren, the recent appearance of the bird in Britain having 

 created no small interest among ornithologists. I cannot give your correspondent 

 any information on this point from my own personal observation ; but perhaps the 

 statement of the following particulars may assist him in his researches. In the sum- 

 mer of 1832, Professor Rennie was residing at Bonn, on the Rhine, and he there 

 ascertained, beyond a doubt, that the Sylvia Hippolais, or chiff-chaff, of British 

 authors, was in reality the Sylvia rufa of the ornithologists on the Continent. Pre- 

 viously to this discovery he had been puzzled — both in Holland and at other places 

 on the Rhine — by the splendid song of a bird which was altogether new to him.. The 

 bird by which this song was uttered turned out, on further investigation, to be the 

 true Sylvia Hippolais ; and, at that period at least, it had neither been seen nor heard 

 of in this country. Mr. Rennie, during the same season, and while still at Bonn, was 

 fortunate enough to find a nest of this delightful songster in a lilac tree in his own 

 garden, about seven feet from the ground. He describes the workmanship of the 

 nest as superior to that of the blackcap (Curruca atricapilla), and as coming nearer 

 in character to that of the finches. The frame-work was thick, made of dry grass, 

 stems, sewing thread, fine wood shavings, birch bark, and small pieces of linen rag. 

 The inside was very neatly lined with roots, hair, a few feathers, and small locks of 

 wool. The eggs, he says, speaking generally, are of the size of those of a linnet, from 

 four to five in number, of a bright but pale pink, with deep scarlet or crimson spots, 

 rather large, and irregularly scattered over them. Three of the young, after leaving 

 the nest, were secured along with the mother, and were brought alive to England. 

 Their ultimate fate is not recorded. There is a beautiful and well-executed wood-cut 

 given, both of the nest and of the birds themselves. With that desire for the changing 

 of names, which seems to have been as prevalent among the cultivators of Natural 

 History then as it is unfortunately at the present day, Mr. Rennie proposed to call this 

 melodious warbler the ' arbour bird,' with the scientific name of Philomela polyglotta. 

 To this proposal no attention would appear to have been paid by subsequent ornitho- 

 logists. Mr. Rennie takes occasion further to say that Temminck is completely wrong 

 in representing the melodious wren as inhabiting woods : he affirms, on the contrary, 

 that it is rarely to be found in such situations, and that its chief haunt is in gardens : 

 he is indeed very severe on the celebrated Dutchman. " The authority of Temminck," 

 VI [ M 



