8 
SYLVIA Sylviella. 
The Lessser White-Throat . 
S. Sylviella. Head and rump grey, back, wing, and tail grey 
brown, beneath dirty white, two middle tail-feathers shorter 
and subulate. Turt. Brit. Faun. v. 1 . p. 45. 
Bill dusky. Iris yellowish. Quill and tail-feathers darker 
than the back, with a grey edge; the outer feather of the 
latter white on the outer web, and more than half on the 
inner ; from the chin to the tail pure white. Legs brown 
lead-colour. 
Length five inches and a quarter ; weight three drachms and a 
quarter. Turt. loc. cit. 
This pretty little bird visits us about the middle 
of April, and leaves us again the end of August, or 
the beginning of September; its song is not so 
agreeable as many of the other species ; but, from its 
singularity, it makes a pleasing variety, being so very 
different from all the others; in its wild state, it 
feeds, principally, on flies, and other small insects ; 
it is also partial to several sorts of fruit, such as 
cherries, plums, apples, pears, and grapes. In con- 
finement, it will soon become tame and familiar, and 
will readily take to feed on bread and milk, and also 
on bruised hemp-seed and bread. One that I bred 
up from the nest, became so attached to its cage, that 
it could not be prevailed upon to quit it for any 
length of time ; when the door of it was put open, it 
