M. Vieillot first proposed this genus, but his definition is so short and obscure, that little can be gained from it.
The slight sketch in the distance, introduced in the plate, will give some idea of the singular nest of this bird.
SYLVIA plumbea,
Grey-backed Warbler.
Generic Character.
Rostri recti, tenuis, basi altiore quam latiore, mandibulâ superiori aliquando emarginatâ, inferiori rectâ. Nares basales, laterales, membranâ partim tectæ. Crura longiora digito medio, qui digito exteriori ad basin annectitur. Ungue posteriore mediocri, digito posteriore breviore et arcuato. Remigum pinnâ primâ brevissimâ aliquando caret. Tectrices remigibus multo breviores. Temm.
Bill straight, slender, base higher than broad; superior mandible sometimes notched, the inferior straight. Nostrils basal, lateral, partly covered by a membrane. Legs longer than the middle toe, which is united to the exterior toe at the base; hinder claw moderate, shorter than the toe, and curved. Wings; the first quill very short, or wanting, greater covers much shorter than the quills. Temminck.
Generic Types—Turdus arundinaceus. Lath. Sylvia locustella. Luscinia. Trochilus. Regulus. (Temminck.)