ON THE BRITISH BIRDS. 
5o9 
ARTICLE XIII. 
ON THE BRITISH BIRDS, TERMED WARBLERS, 
(SYLVIA SCOPOLI.) 
(By James Rennie, M. A. Professor of Zoology, King^s College London.) 
Upon the obvious principle of convenience, leaving out of consi¬ 
deration the debatable ground of artificial and natural systems, I 
think it must be obvious that the linnaean genus notaciUa with its 
193 species, and Latham’s genus Sylvia, with its 298 species, are 
more likely to puzzle a naturalist than to facilitate bis investigations. 
The logic of the framers of these genera is also more than question¬ 
able, when we know that not two-thirds of the linnaean notorcillae 
wag their tails, as the term implies, and many of the Sylvia are 
never seen near a wood. Although I have very small skill in this 
sort of manufacture, or little time or inclination to engage in it, I 
have for my own convenience, endeavoured to extricate some of our 
more interesting British birds from the confusion into which they 
have been thus thrown by those who make high pretensions to order 
and system. I found my distinctions as much on food and habits 
as on form and colour, and I have not selected names implying a pal¬ 
pable Hihernism, such as Phoenicura (literally Red-tail”) recently 
proposed as a genus to include the Red-breast, which has no red on 
the tail!!! I think the term Sylvia ought to he abolished as only 
serving to perpetuate confusion. In my manuscript then the birds 
in question stand thus : 
PHILOMELA. 
Nightingale,— P. Luscinia. 
Blackcap.— P. Atricapilla. 
Fauvette.—P. jMortensis. 
RHONDELLA. 
Redbreast.— Rh. Riibeculn. 
Redstart.— Rh. Phoenicurus. 
CURRUCA. 
White-tliroat.-— C. Cinerea. 
Bahillard.— C. Garrula. 
Dartford Warbler.— C. Provin- 
cialis. 
RIPAECOLA. 
Ledge Bird.— R. Salicaria. 
Reed Bird.— R. Arundenacia, 
Grasshopper Bird.— R. Locus- 
tella. 
TROCHILLUS. 
Goldcrested Wren.—P. Regulus 
Wood Wren.— T. Sibillans. 
Hay Bird.— T. Asilus. 
Chiff Chaff.— T. Hlppolais. 
ANORTHURA. 
Wren.— A Communis. 
Although the Blackcap (Philomelor ArtricapiUa) is one of our 
most interesting summer visitors, ranking only second to the night- 
