BRITISH BIRDS OF THE ROBIN KIND. 



435 



British species are all referable to three generic divisions, one of 

 which, Ficedula, has already been described in detail in the No. 

 of this Magazine for July last. The birds of this genus may be 

 distinguished easily (see page 306) by the form of the aperture 

 of the bill, and by the red * colour of the inside of the mouth, 

 which, in the other genera, is of an orange yellow. Their make is 

 slender and elegant, and presents itself under two slight modifications : 

 one rather more stoutly built, and more strictly and thoroughly fruc- 

 tivorous, of which the blackcap and the garden warbler may be adduced 

 as examples ; the other exemplified in the furze warbler and white- 

 throat, more insectivorous, and, though fond of fruit, not so ravenously 

 so as the former, and living, in general, nearer the ground than those 

 birds. The babillard (F. garrula) , an intermediate species, may be 

 considered the standard of Ficedula. The nest, in this genus., is placed 

 usually in a low bush ; often, in the blackcap and garden warbler, in a 

 forked branch, at four or five feet from the ground ; and, in the ba- 

 billard, sometimes at the height of eight or nine feet, but most commonly 

 near the ground. It is of rather flimsy construction, but firmly put 

 together, composed chiefly of the withered stems of catchweed (Galium 

 aparine), formed into a kind of basket-work, and lined with fine dry 

 grass and horse hair, and in some species with small fibrous roots. Their 

 song, generally, is continuous and uninterrupted ; in some species very 

 fine, usually beginning low and increasing in loudness as they proceed. 

 Their food insects, and almost every kind of fruit and berry ; their 

 habits and manners have already been described in detail, in the article 

 to which I have above alluded, (page 306,) wherein will be also found 

 a notice of the bird described by the Hon. and Rev. W. Herbert, under 

 the name of 



The East Woodhay warbler, (Curruca Bidehensis, Herbert). This 

 species, I am inclined to suspect, from a careful perusal of the Euro- 

 pean Bec-fins of M. Temminck, will prove to be identical with the 

 bec-fin rubigeneux (Sylvia galactotes) of that author. Its superior 

 size to the Sylviance in general ; "as large as a nightingale." Herbert. 

 c< 6 pouces, 6 lignes." Temminck ; (the nightingale Ph. luscinia mea- 



* I was wrong in stating, in a note to page 307, that the garden warbler (Fice- 

 dula hortensis) was an exception to this rule. A nest of very young featherless 

 birds had been brought to me for garden warblers, in which the interior of the 

 mouth was yellow; and, on my referring to Montagu's description of his Sylvia 

 hortensis, I found it stated, that " the pettychaps of Mr. Pennant seems to corre- 

 spond with this, except that the inside of the mouth of this inclines more to yellow 

 than red." Hence originated the mistake. — E. B. 



