60 VJElLLOr's WILLOW WARBLEl!. 



for indicating in tlie clearest manner, those essential 

 points of difference wliich must prevent any confusion 

 of the species — or perhaps I should rather say race— 

 in future. In a work of singular beauty and elegance, 

 the "Iconographique Ornithologique," M. Des Murs has 

 collected all the evidence that could be adduced upon 

 the subject, and has given an excellent figure of the 

 bird, contrasting it on the same sheet with S. hippolais^ 

 (Latham.) I have copied M. Des Murs' figure for the 

 following reasons :— First, specimens of the true Sylvia 

 icterhia are rare and difficult to meet with; and 

 secondly, as I consider the species stands upon the 

 testimony collected by M. Des Murs, it is only right 

 I should give a figure of the bird indicated by him. 

 Further testimony has been offered to the correctness 

 of M. Gerbe's description by the distinguished naturalist, 

 Blasius, both in "Naumannia," and in Count Miihle's 

 "Monograph." It is better, therefore, that we should 

 distinctly know which is the bird meant by M. Gerbe 

 himself, rather than trust to specimens which after all 

 may not prove to be correct species. 



M. Gerbe informs us that it is very difficult to dis- 

 tinguish Sylcia icterina from Sykia hippolais, the 

 Hippolais polyglotta of continental writers, the Latham's 

 Pettychaps, or Melodious Willow Wren Avhich is figured 

 and described as a British species in Morris's British 

 Birds," and Yarrell's supplement, from a specimen re- 

 corded in the "Zoologist," 2228, as having been cap- 

 tured in England. We have the two birds the same 

 size, colour, and form, but they may be distinguished 

 by the following characters. 



In Syhia hippolais the wing in repose does not reach 

 half way to the tail, and the first primary is equal or 

 nearly equal to the fifth. In S. icterina the wing is 



