ON

PHYLLOPNEUSTE RUFA.
Chiff-chaff.

Curruca rufa, Briss. Orn., tom. iii, p. 387.

Motacilla rufa, Gmel. edit. Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. i. p- 955.

Sylvia rufa, Lath. Ind. Orn., vol. ii. p. 516.

—— loquax, Herbert, Notes to White’s Nat. Hist. of Selbourne, Bennett’s edit. ecle
= _/appolais, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. i. p. 508,

Motacilla hippolais, Mont. Orn. Dict.

Trochilus minor, Bew. Brit. Birds, vol. i. p. 268.

Regulus hippolais, Flem. Brit. Anim. Ae

Phyllopneuste rufa, Bonap. Consp. Gen. Av., tom. i. p. 289, Phyllopneuste, sp. 4. —~
Phylloscopus rufus, Blyth, Cat. of Birds in Mus. Asiat. Soc. Calcutta, p. 185.

To ordinary observers the Chiff-chaff, the Willow-Wren, and the Wood-Wren would all appear to be one and
the same species ; on a close examination, however, it will soon be found that they are quite distinct. The
three birds not only frequent the same woods, but often even the same tree. Being desirous of obtaining
examples of each for a scientific purpose, I, in May 1859, took advantage of this circumstance, and shot a
male of each species on the branches of a single oak in the short space of fifteen minutes. They were all in
full song; and I had not the slightest difficulty in distinguishing them. One of the objects I had in view in
obtaining these birds was to determine their relative weights and measurements, which will be found at the
end of this paper.

In colour the three birds bear a very general resemblance,—two of them especially. The distinguishing
characters of the Chiff-chaff are its smaller size, the darker hue of its plumage, and the almost black colour
of its legs ; that of the Willow-Wren is the light fleshy-brown tint of its tarsi; and those of the Wood Wren,
its silvery-white abdomen, the bright-yellow hue of the eye-streak and the margins of the primaries, and its
more lengthened wings. The song of the three birds is strikingly different: the “chilp-chilp” of the
Chiff-chaff having no resemblance to the soft, plaintive note of the Willow-Wren, or to the reeling, sibilous
“‘trit”’ of the Wood-Wren.

When on the trees, the movements of the Chiff-chaff and Willow-Wren are very similar: both keep to the

small leafy branches, displaying great activity, examining every bud for larve, and prying beneath every leaf

for Aphides and even still more minute insects, for obtaiming which their bills and delicate structure are
admirably suited: the Wood-Wren, on the other hand, although equally, if not still more active, spends
much Of its time taking insects in the air, or while clinging with tremulous wings to the extremities
of the-branches in the more shady parts of the woods. In the materials with which the nests of the
three species are constructed, as well as in the situations in which they are ee and in the markangs
and colouring of their eggs, some slight diversity also occurs, as will be seen on reference to ie descriptions
given with each species. Here then we have three birds so closely alist ee as I have before a
ordinary observer would distinguish one from the other, even though skins of all three were placed before

him ; yet they never interbreed with each other. If such alliances were to occur among birds in a state of
hate) 2 owe A

nature, the constancy of species would be infrmged, an endless mass of confusion would arise, and
C “9 y x 3 5

ornithology would no longer be a science.
One of the situations near London where these three birds may always be seen and heard durm the

o
ie)
ler

: : ae adel ae AD: > Clive ‘ -dsor, and the underlying Garden of
summer months is the richly foliaged woods at Taplow, Cliy eden, and Hedsor, < ying G

Formosa on the opposite bank of this very beautiful oe of ine Thee ; wo
I shall now confine myself more particularly to the history of the Chiff-chaff, and may Soar by saying
that if there be any one of our spring or summer birds which, in small numbers, Se the Week: in the
more western and milder parts of England, it is this species. detects | Ba ae by s an
Rodd, Esq., and Mr. Vingoe of Penzance that HH is very ireruenily seen u Ca a : 2 a o a
some few remain there during most winters ; this, however, . quite an exe On to t : ae a oe :
Chiff-chaff as regularly proceeds from our country to Spain ao ne as any a ler O Pune
: eee 1 ies of Enel ffers from that of the Willow- and the

The time of its arrival in the midland counties of England diffe i
Wood-Wren, for it precedes both by two or three BE and the De S 0 : x a a =
may frequently be heard as early as the middle of March ; and from that time fe ‘ : Le oF DS
one a concen accession of visitors, until the bird is generally, but not universaily, dispersed over

. o aT, > ue . Gus Y Norway
itl iversé cause it is but rarely met with in Scotland. In ] ay
the British Islands. I say, not universally, because i Ss