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British birds of the Robin rindv 



It would be of little use here to particularise, in detail, the characters 

 of the genus Philomela. Those who know the nightingale will be at 

 no loss to recognise its generic peculiarities, arid to those who are un- 

 acquainted with the bird, the most elaborate technical description 

 would convey but an imperfect idea. The form is very similar to that 

 of a robin, excepting that it is in every way rather longer and more 

 slender. In manners, also, and general economy, the nightingales very 

 closely resemble the different species of Rubecula. As iii that genus, 

 the young are at first mottled, each feather of the upper parts having a 

 whitish spot at the tip, and those of the under parts being edged with 

 black : this may be observed in all the British Rubecidinee, but not in 

 the Sylvianae. The plumage of the adults is sombre, of different 

 shades of brown, without spot or streak ; and (as in the other Rube- 

 culince), the feathers are thick, long, and puffy, but smooth, and very 

 pervious to water. They subsist entirely on living prey ; their food, 

 consisting of worms, and almost every description of insects ; especially 

 beetles, both in the grub and in the perfect state, and various large 

 moths (Tryphcence, &c), which they find on the ground. The nest is 

 of very loose and simple construction, placed on the ground, or some- 

 times in a ditch bank, but always under covert of a thick bush, and 

 very difficult to discover : it is formed of decayed leaves, generally of 

 the oak (which, in such situations, frequently cover the ground), and 

 lined with dry grass, and sometimes horsehair. Their habits are truly 

 sylvan, their disposition shy and retired, and were not the retreat of 

 our British species always made known by its unrivalled song, it would 

 probably be considered rare, as its presence would scarcely be suspected. 

 As far as is at present known, the genus Philomela will contain but 

 two species, the Ph. luscinia and Ph. magna {Sylvia philomela, Tem.) 

 for from what M. Temminck says of his S. sericea, it seems probable 

 that that species will rank more naturally in some other genus, perhaps 

 in Horlicola ; but it is impossible to judge without having examined a 

 specimen. 



The robin-redbreast and the different species of redstart constitute 

 another small, but very natural, genus, and which, though by different 

 names, has already been described as such by several authors: for 

 reasons already mentioned, I prefer the designation Rubecula, and 

 have termed the redbreast {Sylvia or Phoznicura rubecula of authors), 

 R. familiar is, a name to which none can object. The common redstart, 

 also, I should propose to distinguish by the specific name arborea, 

 rather than by rulicilla, or phvenicura ; terms which have been affixed 



