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.
402/440 page 374
![WASHEEWOMAN. Hetcitson, xxxii. 122 (the latter under name of Great Sedge Warbler and Salica- ria arundinacea). ? Sylvia turdoides, Temm. Man. d’Ornith. i. 181, iii. 100. PSalicaria turdoides, Gould, Birds of Europe; Yar- rell, i. 209. — “ Tffe whole of the plumage above, including the tail, is reddish brown, beneath yellowish white, becoming deeper towards the vent; throat wbiti.sh ; a yel- lowish white band passes above the eyes; the beak is yellow at the base, brown towards the tip ; irides brown, surrounded by a yellowish gold ring; tail rounded; length eight inches : the male and female are alike.”—Temminck, 1. c. It is extremely difficult to reconcile this description with Mr. Yarrell’s figure and description, and a doubt arises whether our bird is really the Sylvia turdoides of Temminck. Temminck gives Borneo, Japan, Tripoli, Dalmatia and Holland as localities of his bird; and he informs us he finds no difference in the skins from these widely-separated coun- tries. The first record of hlr. Yarrell’s hii’d is in the ‘Annals of Natural History’ for 1847, at p. 1,85: the bird was shot three or four miles west of Newcastle, near the village of Swanwell, by Mr. Thomas Eobson, of that j)lace, on the 28th of May, 1847. A second specimen was obtained near Dartford, by Mr. Green, a London hird-stufl'er, on the 8th of May, 1852 : I examined this bird very carefully in the flesh, and recorded its occurrence at page 3470 of the ‘ Zoologist’ for 1852, under the name of the “ Thrush Nightingale this specimen very much resembled a Nightin- gale on a large scale, and possessed neither I the hooked beak nor the wedge-shaped ! tail represented in Yarrell’s figure; nor had it a yellow or yellow-white or white band over the eye, as described by Temminck : the upper surface of the bird was of a rich brown, and the irnder surface gray; the tail was rounded at the extremity: in calling this bird the “ Thrush Nightingale ” I was guided by Mr. Green, not having previously seen a specimen, and being un- acquainted with its name. Mr. Gould says that the nest of this bird is sup- ported, like that of our Eeed Warbler, amongst reeds ; and Mr. Hewitson iufonns us it is composed almost altogether of the fine flowering-tops of reeds and other grasses, an inch thick, and bound round outside by their stalks and ribband-leaves. The same author says the eggs are four or five in number, pale greenish white, spot- ted and sprinkled with ash-gray and red- dish brown. It must he admitted that the history of this bird is unsatisfac- torj', especially as regards British ex- amples.] Washerwoman.—See Wagtail, White. Water Colly.—See Ouzel, Water. Water Crake. — See Ouzel, Water; and Gallinule, Spotted. Water Craw.—See Ouzel, Water. Water Hen.—See Gallinule. Water Hen, Spotted. — See Gallinule, Spotted. [Water Ouzel.—See Ouzel, Water.] [Water Rail.—See Eail or Water Bail.] [Water Sparrow. — A name of the Black- headed Bunting. Water Wagtail.—See Wagtail, White. Waxen Chatterer. 1 See Chatterer, [Waxwing.] > Bohemian. [Western Duck. 1 See Duck, Steller’s [Western Pochard. ’ Western.] Whaup or Stock Whaap.—See Curlew. Wheatear. — [ Yarrell, i. 280 ; Hewitson, XXX. 110.] Motacilla QEnanthe, Lin. Syst. i. p. 332, 15; Gmel. Syst. ii. p. 966; Eaii Syn. p. 75, A. 1; Will. p. 168, t. 41. Syl- via QEnanthe, Ind. Orn. ii. p. 529, 79. AT- titiora, Bris. iii. p. 449, 33 ; Ih. 8vo, i. p. 434. Le Cul blanc, A'itrec, ou Motteux, Buf. V. p. 237. AVheat-ear, Br. Zool. i. No. 157 ; Ih. fol. 102, t. S. 1, f. 5, 0 ; Arct. Zool. ii. p. 420, P.; Will. Angl. p. 133, t. 41 ; Albin, i. t. 55 (M.), 3, t. 54 (F.); Ediv. pref. p. 12; Lath. Syn. iv. p. 405, 75 ; Sup. p. 182 ; Lewin, Br. Birds, iii. t. 110; Wale. Syn. ii. t. 241; Pult. Cat. Dorset, p. 9. White-rump, Bewick, Br. Birds, i. t. p. 238. Provincial: Fallow Finch, or Fallow Smich; AVhite-tail; Snorter; Chickell; Hedge-chicker, Chack, Check, Chacker, or Chack-bird. — This species weighs about six drams and a half; length near six inches and a half. The bill is black, and considerably broad at the base, where it is beset with bristles; irides hazel. From the nostril a black streak through the eye, taking in the coverts of the ear; over each eye a white stroke meeting on the fore- head ; the upper pai’t of the head and back cinereous-grey; rump, upper and under tail- coverts white; quill-feathers dusky, mostly edged with light rust-colour; coverts black, tipped with rusty yellow; under part of the neck buff; breast and belly yellowish white ; tail white, the two middle feathers black at the end for about an inch, the rest tipped half an inch with the same; legs and claws black. The female is about](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b28089935_0402.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
