feather being grey at the base, but brown at the tip, the
brown thus hiding the grey : the wing-coverts, secondaries,
and tertials, broadly edged with reddish brown; the tail-feathers
tipped with buff; the reddish buff colour of the chin
and throat, and the paler buff colour of the belly, vent, and
under tail-coverts, are much more intense in colour and richness.
This change, as before remarked, is produced by the
regular autumnal moult, and the brown colour remains all
the winter; but in the following spring the change from the
brown to the grey appearance is effected by the wearing off
of the brown tips and margins of all the feathers that were
previously so coloured ;—an illustration of one of the modes
by which changes of appearance are effected, as referred to at
the bottom of page 159. These brown edges disappear from
the quill-feathers of the wings before the brown colour is lost
on the feathers of the head, neck, back, and scapulars. On
these last-named parts the change from brown to grey is gradual,
and many shades of difference may be observed in
different specimens, some changing more rapidly than others ;
but the change from grey to brown produced by the autumn
moult is rapid and general, affecting all alike.
Females and young birds in autumn do not differ much
from adult males at the same season, except that the markings
about the head are less clearly defined, and the colours
are rather less pure. The birds are in this state of plumage
when caught in such numbers on the south downs.
The vignette represents the breastbones of the Robin and
the Wheatear.
TH E GRASSHOPPER WARBLER.
Sylvia locustella, Grasshopper Warbler,
Curruca ,,
Salicaria ,,
Sylvia■ ,,
Locustella avicula,
Sylvia locustella,
Brahe Locustelle,
Bec-jin Locustelle,
P enn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 518.
Montagu, Ornith. Diet.
B ewick, British Birds, vol. i. p. 236.
F lem. Brit. An. p. 69.
Selby, Brit. Ornith. vol. i. p. 199.
J enyns, Brit. Vert. p. 106.
G ould, Birds of Europe, pt. xix.
T emm. Man. d’Ornith. vol. i. p. 184.
Salicaria. Generic Characters.-Bill straight, subulate, expanded at the
base, with the ridge of the upper mandible elevated, compressed towards the tip,
which is slightly deflected and emarginated; the edges straight, those of the
under mandible being gently inflected. Nostrils, basal, lateral, oval, and
exposed. Forehead narrow and depressed. Wings rather short; the first quill
nearly abortive, the second a little shorter than the third, which is the longest
of all. Tail rounded. Legs having the tarsi longer than the middle toe ; feet
rather large and stout; the hind toe large and strong : claws moderately curved,
long, and very sharp ; that of the hind toe longer and larger than any of the
others.
I have followed several systematic authors in considering
the three species next to be described as entitled to generic