A dictionary of British birds : reprinted from Montagu's Ornithological dictionary, and incorporating the additional species described by Selby; Yarrell, in all three editions, and in natural-history journals / compiled and edited by Edward Newman.
- George Montagu
- Date:
- 1866
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: A dictionary of British birds : reprinted from Montagu's Ornithological dictionary, and incorporating the additional species described by Selby; Yarrell, in all three editions, and in natural-history journals / compiled and edited by Edward Newman. Source: Wellcome Collection.
398/440 page 370
![changed into a scream of distress; they would almost suffer the hand to touch them, and then faU from the spraj', and tumble along the ground, ns if fluttering in their last struggle for existence. [Warbler, Garden. — See Pettychaps, Greater.] Warbler, Grasshopper.—[Yarrell, i. 295; Heioitson, xxxi. 112.] Alauda trivialis, Gmel. Syst. p. 79G, 5. Sylvia Locustella, Ind. Orn. ii. p. 515, 25 ; Lath. Syn. Sup. ii. p. 240. Locustella avicula, Eaii Stjn. p. 70, A. 7 ; Will. p. 151. La Locustelle, Buf. V. p. 42. Fauvette tachetee, PL Enlum. 581. Titlark that sings like a Grasshopper, Will. Angl. j). 207. Grasshopper Lark, Warbler, Br. Zool. i. No. 150 ; Ih. fol. 95, t. Q. f. 5 ; Arct. Zool. ii. p. 419, L.; White, Hist. Selb. p. 45. Grasshopper Warbler, Lath. Syn. iv. p. 429,20 ; Lewin, Br. Birds, iii. t. 98. — This species is less than the Whitethroat; length five inches and a half; weight about three drams and a quarter. The bill is dusky above, whitish beneath; irides light hazel. The whole upper parts of the bird are olivaceous- brown ; the middle of each feather dusky, except on the back of the neck, which gives it a pretty spotted appearance ; eye- lids, chin, throat, and belly yellowish white; breast, sides, and thighs inclining to brown, the two last faintly streaked with dusky; under tail-coverts very pale brown, marked down the shafts with long pointed streaks of a dusky colour; quills and tail dusky brown, lighler on their ex- terior edges, tinged with olive; the tail is much cuneiform, and the feathers some- what pointed; legs very pale brown ; claws light horn-colour; hind claw short and crooked. In shape the Grasshopper Warbler vei’y much resembles the Sedge Warbler ; is rather inferior in size, and at once distinguished by its spotted back. It is not a plentiful species, but probably appears less so by its habit of concealing itself amongst furze and thick hedges, dis- covering their place of concealment only bj’ their singular cricket-like note, wliich is so exactly like that of the Grilla-Talpa as scarce to be distinguished. We have found it in Hampshire, in South Wales, and in Ireland, but nowhere so plentiful ns on Malmsbnry Common in Wiltshire, to which place llie males come about the second week in April. At this time only they expose themselves upon the top branches of the furze, and ai-e continually making their singular chirping notes, their only song. In this situation we have killed several. As soon ns the fe- males arrive, which is in about ten daj's after, the males no longer expose them- selves, and are almost silent till about the dusk of the evening, when they are inces- santly crying; possibly to decoy the larger species of grasshoppers, or the Grilla- Talpa, which begin their chirping with the setting sun. The female very much resembles the other sex; is so shy as to be obtained with difficulty. On the I8th of Slay we found the nest of tins bird in a patch of thick brambles and furze, with two eggs; but as they had not been incu- bated, probably more would have been laid. The nest is of a Himsy texture, like that of the 'Whitethroat, composed of dried stalks and goosegrass, lined with fibrous roots. The eggs are of a spot- less bluish white, weighing tweutj'-one grains. From the scarcity of the bird, and the aitiul manner it which it conceals its nest, it is rarely found; nor has any author noticed it. Soppi-EMENT. — By some unaccountable accident the Alauda trivialis of Liuna5us and Gmelin was referred to for the Grass- hopper Warbler, as well as for the Pipit Lark, in the ‘ Ornithological Diction- ary ;’ whereas it should appear both these authors were unacquainted with Sylvia Locustella. Some confusion still exists with respect to this bird, from an idea that it is a Lark and not a Warbler; we therefore beg leave to observe that the Sylvia Locustella has not a single character of a Lark, and is not in anything similar to the Pipit or Tit Larks. It has no long claw behind, resides always in thickets, is incapable of running on the ground like a Lark, but moves by hopping; so that we can only ascribe the confusion to a want of real knowledge of the bird. The tail is a remoi'kable character of this bird, differ- ing entirely from that of any of our Larks; it is more cuneiform than that of the Sedge Warbler, the outer feather being full an inch shorter than the middle ones, which are sharp-pointed at the end; the others becoming less sharp towards the outer ones, which are nearly rounded at the tips : the wings are remarkably short, reaching very little beyond the base of the tail; and the first feather is shorter than the second. If these characters are at- tended to, in addition to what has already been given, the bird cannot possibly bo mistaken. We have not been able to trace this species far north, nor into all the south-eastern counties: the borders of Gloucestershire and Hampshire have hi- therto been the utmost of their known nmge eastward; and from thence probably in all the western counties, as it extends into Ireland. In a tour tHrough Bath to London, and from thence into the eastern counties ; and lastly from Linoolnshii’e in a direct line to Somersetshire ; in the](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b28089935_0398.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
