424 



BRITISH BIRDS OF THE ROBIN KIND, 



(and naturally enough,) with the birds of the wheatear kind, (Saxico~ 

 lince,) and it would hardly appear very natural to arrange the 

 nightingale in a group which takes its name from so dissimilar a species 

 as the wheatear, although the wheatear and the nightingale also might 

 both range quite naturally as " birds of the robin kind." I propose, 

 therefore, first, that the Linnsean specific name of the robin-redbreast, 

 {Rubecula) should be employed as a generic name, to denote the red- 

 start and robin genus, and that the term Phcenicura (or red-tail, which 

 has been used to designate this genus,) should be consequently aban- 

 doned as objectionable, inasmuch as it is quite inapplicable to the 

 redbreast, the most conspicuous member of the genus ; and secondly, 

 that instead of Saxicolincs, or birds of the wheatear kind, the group 

 should be denominated RubeculincB, or birds of the robin kind ; a 

 general appellation which should comprise the nightingale genus,, 

 Philomela. 



According to this view, the following, I think, appears a natural 

 arrangement of the British Rubeculince and Sylviance, two of the sub- 

 divisions of the major group, Sylviadce. 



BRITISH BIRDS OF THE ROBIN KIND 



Sy Iv iadce Rubeculina. 

 Genus Philomela ; Nightingale. 



The common nightingale 



Genus Rubecula ; Robin. 



The robin-redbreast 

 The black redstart 

 The common redstart 



Genus Saxicola ; Wheatear, 

 The common wheatear 



Genus Rubetra ; Chat. 

 The whinchat .... 

 The stonechat .... 



Ph. luscinia 



R. familiaris. 

 R. tithys 

 R. arbor ea 



S. cenanlhe 



R. migratoria 

 R. rubicola 



BRITISH BIRDS OF THE WARBLER KIND. 



Sylviadce Sylviana?. 

 Genus Ficedula ; Fructivorous warbler, or Fauvette. 

 The garden fauvette, or garden warbler . F. hortensis 



The blackcap 

 The babillard 

 The whitethroat 



The furze fauvette, or Dartford warbler 



F. atricapilla 

 F. garrula 

 F. cinerea 

 F. ulicicola 



