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

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.

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$pai’ts of the body, -scapulars, and wing- coverts dusky, margined with pale brown ; quill-feathers dusky; the borders of the internal webs barred with white; the tail is dusky ash-colour, the middle feathers darkest, marked with six or seven dusky bars ; legs dusky. The Whimbrel has all the manners of the Curlew, and indeed is so very like in plumage that in some parts it has obtained the name of Jack Curlew, from a supposition that it is the male of that bird; but it is by no means so plen- tiful a species. It is a migrative bird, visting our coasts in August, and con- tinuing the winter, keeping together in small flocks of five or six; has been sus- pected to breed on the coast of Sussex and Kent, especially about Romney Marsh; but that has not been ascertained with certainty. Whimbrel, Brazilian. — Supplement. — See Curlew, Brazilian.— Doctor Turton, in his ‘ British Fauna,’ informs us this species was shot a year or two since in Anglesea. This is without doubt the same bird we have mentioned under the articles Curlew, Brazilian, and Ibis, Glossy. For further remarks see those birds. Whin-Chat.—\Yarrell,i. 282; Hewitson, xxx. 108.] Motacilla Rubetra, Lin. Syst. i. p. 332, It); Gmel. Syst. ii. i). 907 ; Ind. Orn. ii. p. 525, 58. Rubetra major, sive Eubicola, Bris. iii. p. 432, 20, t. 24, f. I; Ib. 8vo, i. p. 430. QSnanthe secunda, Eaii Syn. p. 70, A. 3; Will. p. 234. Grand Traquet, ou Tarier, Buf. v. p. 224. Whin- Chat, Br. Zool. i. No. 158 ; Ib. fol. 103, t. S. 2, f. 3, 4: Will. Angl. p. 234; Hayes, Br. Birds, t. 39 ; Lath. Syn. iv. p. 454, 54; Don. Br. Birds, t. 00; Lewin, Br. Birds, iii. t. • 109 ; Wale. Sijn. ii. t. 140; Bull. Cat. Dorset, p. 9. Provincial; Furze-Chat. —This species of Warbler weighs about four drams and a half; length full five inches. The biU is black, the base beset with bristles ; irides dark hazel. Crown of the head, cheeks, hind-neck, back, and upper taU-coverts black, each feather mar- gined with rufous-brown, which gives the hii'd a pretty spotted appearance; from the upper .mandible a broad white streak passes over the eye on each side to the back of the head, where it almost meets; from the chin another white streak passes down each side the neck; throat and breast light ferruginous; sides the same, but less bright; belly and under tail-coverts white, tinged with the same; wing-coverts and quills dusky black, partly edged with ru- fous-brown ; on the wing near the shoulder is a large patch of white, and a smaller one of the same colour on the greater coverts of the primarie.s; tail short, the feathers white more than half-way from the base ; the rest dusky black, slightly tipped and margined with pale . rufous-brown ; legs black. This is a migrative species, ap- pearing with us about the middle of April, inhabiting the same places as the Stone- chat, corresponding with that bird in all its habits, except that this does not remain with us the winter; most frequently found about furzy places, where it breeds. It places its nest on the ground, amongst the grass at the bottom of a bush, very art- fully concealed, generally forming a path through the gi-ass to it; is composed of dried grass and stalks, with very little moss externally, and lined with fine dried grass. The eggs are generally six in num- ber, entirely blue, without a spot; in which it differs from those of the Stonechat, w'hich have a faint appearance of rufous, disposed in small close-set spots at the larger end. This elegant little bird sings very prettily, and that not unfrequently suspended on wdng over the furze. It alwaj'S sits on the top branches of a bush, watching for flies, its principal food ; and, like the Flycatcher, wiO. dart into the air, and return to the same spray repeatedly. It seems a more local species than the Stonechat; is found rarely in the further part of Devonshire and in Cornwall, but is plentiful in Somersetshire, Wiltshire, and Gloucestershire, and the more eastern parts. It is remarkable that manj' of the summer migrative species of Warblers are not to he found in the West of England, and yet the whole of them are met ivith in Wfltshii'e, and from thence to the eastern coast, especially about Loudon and the ad- joining counties; from this it should ap- pear that they come to that coast first from the Continent; that some species, finding all their nature requires, do not ramble far, while others spread to a greater dis- tance. The female is much less bright in colour; the white over the eye is yellowish; the wing-coverts brownish, with scarce any marfe of white as in the male; weight about a dram more than the other sex. [Whiskered Tern.—See Tern,MTiiskered.] [Whistling Swan.—See Swan, 'V\'histling.] White Baker.—See Flycatcher, Spotted. [Whitehellied Swift.—See Swift, Alpine.] [Whiteeyed Duck.—A name of the Ferru- ginous Duck.] [Whitefronted Goose.—See Goose, White- fronted.] White Game.—Sec Ptarmigan.$