WHITETHROAT. 
irs 
manner with dark brown and black; other specimens are 
nearly as pale as the egg of the Dartford warbler, figured 
below. In our plate we have represented one of the most 
usual appearance. 
The entire length of this species is five inches nine lines. 
The wing measures two inches eight lines from the carpus to 
the tip ; its first quill-feather is remarkably short, not ex¬ 
ceeding four lines in length, the second is only half a line 
shorter than the third and fourth, which are equal, and the 
longest in the wing. The tail extends beyond the tips of the 
closed wings one inch and a half; its feathers are graduated, 
and slightly decreasing in length from the middle towards 
the sides, the outermost being four lines shorter than the 
central ones. The beak measures four lines from the fore¬ 
head to the tip, and the gape is very slightly fringed with 
hairs. The tarsi measure eleven lines. 
The plumage of this beautiful little bird, although not re¬ 
markable for the brilliancy of its colours, presents an elegant 
assemblage of tints the most delicate and soft, shading into 
one another like the tints upon mother-of-pearl. The silvery 
white of the throat loses itself in the lovely peach-blossom 
of the breast, which again gives place to white upon the 
belly; the flanks and under coverts of the tail are white, 
tinged with pale orange-brown. The upper plumage is, upon 
the head, nape, and ear-coverts slate colour, tinged with 
brown; the back is olivaceous brown ; the upper coverts of 
the tail inclining more to olive. The quill-feathers of the 
wings are brown, with lighter edges; the tail the same, ex¬ 
cept the outer feather, which is of a dull white ; the coverts 
of the wings and tertials are brown, deeply bordered with 
rust. The beak is dark bluish horn ; the base of the under 
mandible yellow, the corners of the gape yellowish-green. 
The iris is olive-yellow, lightest against the pupil; the eye- 
