486 



BRITISH BIRDS OF THE ROBIN KIND. 



curing, according to that author, six inches five lines). The bright 

 rufous colour of the upper parts, and the " glossy silver colour " (Her- 

 bert , "blanc Isabelle," Tern.)* of the under parts, all seem indicative of 

 their identity ; and the only particular which is at all at variance in 

 the two descriptions is, that Mr. Herbert mentions <c a dark line over 

 the eye," whereas M. Temminck observes, that <e une bande brune va 

 du bee a l'ceil, et un sourcil blanc passe au-dessus. " The Sylvia galac- 

 lotes is described by M. Temrninck to be a new species, from the southern 

 provinces of Spain, much resembling in its form the Rousserolle 

 (Sylvia turdoides, Meyer ;), and he makes the following rather remark- 

 able observations f : " I am not aware that this species inhabits reeds and 

 aquatic situations, but I range it provisionally in this (" the aquatic") 

 section ; it is only by means of a knowledge of its manners and habits 

 that the proper situation of this species can be determined with ac- 

 curacy, in the division of these birds into aquatic and sylvan sections." 

 From this remark of M. Temminck, I think it very probable, that the 

 species will rank neither in Ficedula nor in Pkragmites, but (perhaps 

 with S iurdoides) in a separate generic division ; and this view is 

 further corroborated by what the Hon. Mr. Herbert states of his East 

 Woodhay warblers, that " they were not in the least shy, but sat very 

 still either on a low branch of an oak tree, or some part of the fence, 

 and were quite mute." This trait in their manners, in the month of 

 May, I n«ed scarcely add, is entirely at variance with those of both the 

 fructivorous and the aquatic warblers, all the species of which are re- 

 markable for their extreme shyness and love of concealment. I may 

 fiere also observe, firstly, that the general form and structure of the 

 snembers of these two genera are much too distinct to be ever con- 

 founded by any person of the least discrimination ; and, secondly, that 

 the habits alone of these birds will not, in every instance, indicate the 

 genus to which they belong. M. Temminck says of the grasshopper 

 warbler, (Pkragmites loctistella,) that "it frequents the borders of 

 overs ; that it feeds on the insects, &c. natural to such situations ; and 

 that its nest is built among the reeds, or in large tufts of herbage." 

 Every syllable of which is either quite incorrect, and demonstrative of 



* This tinge of buff (Isabelle), probably very faint, was most likely overlooked 

 by Mr. Herbert, who only saw the bird when in a state of liberty E. B. 



f J'ignore si 1'espece habite les roseaux et les bords des eaux, je la range pro- 

 visoirement dans cette section ; car seulement la connaissance des moeurs et des 

 habitudes peut determiner au juste la place qu'on doit lui assigner, dans la section 

 des riverains ou bien des sylvains. 



