538 



WHITE THROAT. 



WHITE THROAT (Curruca cinerea, Brisson.) 



♦ Sylvia cinerea, Lath. Ind. Orn. 1. p. 514 lb. 2. p. 514. 23. — Motacilla Sylvia, 



Linn. Syst. 1. p. 330 Gmel. Syst. 1. p. 956.— Curruca cinerea, Briss. 3. p. 376. 



4 lb. 8. 1. p. 463 Buff. Ois. 5. p. 409. 3.— Bee-fin grisette, Temm. Man. 



d'Orn. 1. p. 207. — Fauvette grise, ou grisette, Buff. Ois. 5. p. 132. — lb. pi. Enl. 

 579. f. 3.— Fahle Gramucke, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 3. p. 534 — Meyer, Tass- 

 chenb. Deut. 1. p. 225. — Ficedulae affinis, ou Spipola prima, Raii, Syn. p. 77. 

 a. 6. — First Spipola, Aldrovandus, Will. p. 210 — Raii, Syn. 77. a. 1. — Riet- 



wink, Sepp. Nederl. VBg. 3. t. p. 97 White Throat, Br. Zool. 1. No. 160.— 



Arct. Zool. 2. p. 422.— White's Hist. Selb. p. 103 Lath. Syn. 4. 19. p. 428. 



— Mont. Orn. Diet. — Bewick's Br. Birds, 1 L win's Br. Birds, 3. t. 104. — 



Pult. Cat. Dorset, p. 9. — Flem. Br. Anim. p. 71.— Sweet's Br. Warblers, p. 5. 

 Turton, Br. Fauna, 1. p. 45.— Selby, pi. 46. fig. 6. p. 178. 



Provincial. — Nettle-Creeper. Muggy-Cut-Throat. Whey-Beard. 

 Wheetie-Why-Bird. Muff. Charlie Muftie. Peggy. Peggy-White- 

 throat. Churr. Whautie.* 



. This species weighs about four drams ; length five inches and three- 

 quarters. The bill dusky brown above, whitish beneath ; irides yel- 

 lowish ; the whole upper parts, from head to tail, cinereous-brown ; 

 coverts of the wings darkest, bordered with brown, inclining to rufous ; 

 quills dusky, slightly edged with cinereous-brown ; under parts, from 

 chin to tail, greyish white, darkest on the breast and thighs ; in some 

 the breast has a rosy tinge ; tail like the quills ; outer feather white, 

 except at the base of the inner web ; legs pale brown. The female is 

 like the male. 



This is a very common species, visits all parts of the kingdom which 

 are inclosed, about the middle of April, and constantly enlivens our 

 hedges with its song, * which, Selby says, it utters upon the wing as it 

 rises from the spray on which it has been perched, to a considerable 

 height in the air, descending slowly to the same spot. In executing 

 this movement, its flight is very peculiar ; at this time it erects the fea- 

 thers on the crown of the head.* The nest is made of goose-grass lined 

 with fibres, and sometimes a few long hairs, but is of so flimsy a texture 

 that it can afford little warmth to the eggs or young : this is generally 

 placed in some low bush amongst nettles or other luxuriant herbs. 



* We should be apt to deem it impossible to bring the dry brittle 

 stems of catchweed, ( Valantia Aparine,) into a smooth round form, 

 yet this is the usual material of the frame-work employed by these little 

 mechanics, though no sort of dry slender stem comes amiss. These are 

 woven together in the bosom of some low bush of brambles or thorns, 

 as Sepp has accurately figured it, 1 sometimes so slightly that the 

 light shines through the meshes ; while at other times the structure is 



1 Nederlandsche Vogelen, ii. Deel. 



