BRITISH 



BIRDS OF THE 



ROBIN KIND. 



445 



Sylvia polyglotta of Vieillot and Banzani. That a bird exists, 

 however, in this country, such as Mr. Herbert has described, I hardly 

 entertain a doubt, though my endeavours to procure a specimen have 

 hitherto been ineffectual. Several gamekeepers and others to whom 

 I have spoken on the subject, recognised the species directly ; but all 

 described it as being very rare, and extremely difficult to procure on 

 account of its shyness. In opposition, however, to what Mr. Her- 

 bert has stated, they say that it never mounts up into the trees, 

 like the other species, but skulks about always amongst the thickest 

 underwood, and that it may often be followed for hours together before 

 a momentary view of it can be obtained. Of its nest I have been able 

 to learn nothing, but I very strongly suspect that I have had a young 

 bird of the species in confinement. 



Happening in the month of August, last year, to call at a bird- 

 catcher's in London, who deals largely in the various summer birds of 

 passage, I observed, in a cage containing about a dozen young chiff- 

 chaffs and willow wrens, one small bird of this genus which I had never 

 seen before, and what I felt confident was new and undescribed. I 

 purchased it, together with a couple of chiff-chaffs to keep it company, 

 having always observed that these little birds thrive best in society ; 

 but being at the time particularly engaged in business, and not being 

 able to pay that attention to it which it required, I confided it to the 

 care of a man who seemed to understand the management of caged birds, 

 until such time as I could attend to it properly myself. I saw it twice in 

 the course of the following week, and it appeared to be doing well ; but 

 on my calling a third time, a few days afterwards to take it away, I found 

 to my regret that it was dead, and had been unfortunately thrown away. 

 This bird was about the same size as the chiff-chaff, but of a stouter make. 

 It was in its nestling plumage, which very much resembled that of the 

 young chiff-chaff, excepting that the belly was white ; (I may observe 

 here, that the nestling .plumage of the S. loquax is of a finer yellow, 

 and much more beautiful than that of the adult bird ,* and that the 

 same difference is observable in the S. melodia). Its manners and 

 actions, however, differed in a striking degree from those of the chiff- 

 chaff, and when held in the hand it always screamed out lustily, in a 

 manner which I have never observed in either of the three common 

 species, all of which I have kept in confinement. This bird, I am 

 almost positive, must have been of the species which Mr. Herbert has 

 described. It was taken in Kensington gardens. 



M. Temminck, in his account of the rufous pettychaps (S. rufa), 



