Identifier: birdsofdevon00durb (find matches)
Title: The birds of Devon
Year: 1892 (1890s)
Authors: D'Urban, W. S. M. (William Samuel Mitchell) Mathew, Murray Alexander, 1838-1908 Keulemans, J. G. (John Gerrard), 1842-1912, lithographer Wetmore, Alexander, 1886-1978, former owner. DSI
Subjects: Birds
Publisher: London : R.H. Porter
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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In North Devon it is common in oak-woods near Clovelly (O. V. A., Zool. 1887,
p. 71). Apparently numerous near Dulverton, in Somerset, close to the north-eastern
border of Devon (C. S., Zool. 1878, p. 330). Col. Montagu (naturalist) (naturalist) saw and heard this species in several of the western counties, and
obtained specimens, nests, and eggs (Trans. Linn. Soc. vol. iv. p. 35).
Icterine Warbler. Hippolais icterina (Vieillot).
In Bellamy's " Natural History of South Devon " there is a description
given of a Warbler which was unknown to him, but which we have little
doubt was a specimen of the Icterine Warbler, the bird which for some
time had a place in the British list under the name of the Melodious
Willow-Warbler. However, this appellation was misleading, because the
Text Appearing After Image:

TURDIDÆ. 25

Icterine Warbler does not in its nesting-habits or song agree with the
group of Willow-Warblers (Phylloscopi), which all build dome-shaped
nests in banks or upon the ground, whereas the Icterine Warbler places a
loosely constructed open nest upon the forked bough of a tree, and in its
other habits comes nearer to the Sedge-Warblers. We quote Bellamy's
account of the South-Devon specimen :— "" Recently a bird has been shot
by Pincombe, taxidermist of Devonport, at Whiteford, in the neighbour-
hood of Plymouth, which bears a great resemblance to the Chiffchaff in
colour, and is but a trifle longer; the differences worthy of note being
first and principally a greater width of the base of the upper mandible
one of the characteristics of C. L. Brehm's genus Hypolais; secondly,
a want of correspondence between certain quill-feathers, the second and
seventh being the same length in the Chiffchaff, the second and sixth in the
Yellow Wren (Phylloscopus trochillus, Linn.), while in this new species each
feather differs in length trom the rest;

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