LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. BIOLOGY LIBRARY G Class OF THE UNIVERSITY OF Andre & Sleigh, Ltd., Bushey. BLACK GAME. From a Sketch by J. WOLF. A MANUAL OF PAL^EARCTIC BIRDS BY H. E. DRESSER, F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c. AUTHOR OF "THE BIRDS OF EUROPE," ETC., ETC. PART I LONDON PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR AT 3 HANOVER SQUARE, W. 1902 All rights reserved RICHARD CLAY AND SONS, LIMITED, BREAD STREET HILL, B.C., AND BUS GAY, SUFFOLK. PREFACE TWENTY years ago, when the Birds of Europe was nearing its end, I thought of issuing a similar work on the Birds of Northern Asia, in order to furnish a complete account of the Ornithology of the Palsearctic Region. It seemed, however, that I could not expect to obtain for my project the support of a sufficient number of subscribers to save me from serious pecuniary loss, and with much regret the project had to be abandoned. I have since been urged by many friends to bring out a Handbook of European Birds, of a size, and at a price, which would be convenient to travellers and field-naturalists — the latter being a class of persons with whom, for the sake of old associations, when I counted myself one of them, I have still the greatest sympathy. Bearing in mind, however, my former desire to treat of the Birds of Northern Asia, and knowing how non-existent is any physical barrier between the Eastern and Western portions of the Palsearctic area, I have thought it expedient not to limit the present Manual to European species, even with the addition of those of Barbary and the Atlantic Islands (Madeira, Canaries, and Azores). There is admittedly little difficulty in laying down the southern frontier of this area in Africa, since the Great Desert forms a natural boundary, but the southern limits in Asia are less easily defined. I suppose these to run to the northward of the Arabian Desert, and including the tableland of Persia, the highlands of Baluchistan, the whole of Afghanistan, and the 195343 iv PREFACE Himalayan Range above about 6,000 feet, stretching to the south of Tibet, and north of the valley of Yang-tse-kiang as far as the Pacific, and then round Corea and the main islands of Japan, with of course all the countries lying to the northward of a line so indicated, but it seems to be admitted that these limits cannot at present be more definitely drawn. This work being primarily intended for the use of field- naturalists and travellers, I have thought it advisable to cut as short as possible all technical questions, such as synonymy and the like. The arrangement followed is very nearly the same as adopted in the Birds of Europe, with of course the additions rendered necessary by the larger ground that has to be covered. It will be seen, however, that the extreme sub- division of genera, species, and subspecies now so much in fashion has been avoided, and this, I think, will be found a practical convenience to the field-worker. The endless manu- facture of subspecies in particular, often based on very trifling differences of tint, seems calculated rather to puzzle and dis- courage than to assist the beginner, for even the expert is apt to find himself lost in investigating slight distinctions which are occasionally not much more than those which separate individuals. No one can doubt that in most cases the wider the area over which a species ranges, the greater is the amount of variation to be found among its members, the variation being apparently due to climatic or other local causes. When fairly defined limits can be assigned to such variations, it is quite legitimate to accord them separate treatment, whether they be called subspecies or not ; but when every intermediate stage between examples that are most unlike can be found, the attempt to differentiate them more than Nature herself has done seems entirely inexpedient. For this reason, besides being in principle a binomialist, I have declined the recognition of such so-called "subspecies," as those who have described them have so little confidence in as to need the aid of trinomials. The descriptions of the various species have been mainly taken from specimens which were then in my own collection, PREFACE now in the Museum of Owens College at Manchester, but some are from specimens in the British Museum or that of Tring, which last have been generously placed at my disposal by their possessor, the Hon. Walter Rothschild, M.P. In most cases I have examined as large a series of specimens as possible, but there are some few of which I have not been able to see a single example, and have then been compelled to borrow a published description. It had been my intention to include a map of the Palsearctic area, but consideration showed that it was impossible to give one in an 8vo. volume which would be of any practical use to the reader. A second plate from a drawing by the late Mr. Joseph Wolf, has therefore been substituted which, I think, can scarcely fail to give pleasure to those who may possess the work. I take this opportunity of returning my thanks to many friends both at home and abroad, who have kindly assisted me in preparing this work, and among them I would especially name Professor Newton, who has helped to look over the proofs, and in various other ways has greatly assisted me ; Mr. Howard Saunders, on whose co-operation I could always reckon ; and lastly to the Society for the Protection of Birds, who permitted me to publish the work at No. 3, Hanover Square. H. E. DKESSER. 28, QUEENSBOROUGH TERRACE, W. Is* June, 1903. ABBREVIATIONS OF THE WORKS CHIEFLY CITED Bechst. Gemeinn. Naturg. Deutsch.— Bechstein (J. M.), Gemeiiiniitzige Naturgeschichte Deutschlands nach Allen drey Reichen (1789-95) Berez. and Bianchi Ptitz. Gan-su. — Berezowski (M.) and Bianchi (V.), Aves expeditions Potanini per provinciam Gan-su et confinia 1884-87 (1891) (in Russian] David and Oust. Ois. Chine.— David (A.)et Oustalet (E.), les Oiseaux de la Chine (1877) Defilippi Viagg. Pers. — Filippo Defilippi, Note de un Viaggio in Persia nel 1862 (1865) Dresser. — Dresser (H. E.), A History of the Birds of Europe, including all the species inhabiting the Western Palaearctic Region (1871-81), Sup- plement (1895-96) Gould, B. of Eur.— Gould (J.), The Birds of Europe (1832-37) id.— B. of Gt. Brit.— id. Birds of Great Britain (1862-73) id.— B. of Asia, id. The Birds of Asia (1850-83) id.— B. of Austral., id. The Birds of Australia (1840-48) Hempr. and Ehr. Symb. Phys. Aves. — Hemprich (F. W.) et Ehrenberg (C. G.), Symbol* Physicse, seu Icones et Descriptions corporum Natnnuinm novorum aut minus cognitorum quae ex itineribus per Libyam, JEgyptum, Nubiam, Dongalam, Syriam, Arabiam, et Habessi- niam, &c. (1828-45) Heuglin, Orn. N. 0. Afr— Heuglin (Th. von), Ornithologie Nordost-Afrika's der Nilquellen-und Kusten-Gebiete des Rothen Aleeres und des nord- lichen Somal Landes (1869-74) Hewitson. — Hewitson (W. C.), Coloured Illustrations of the eggs of British Birds, accompanied with descriptions of the eggs, nests, &c., 3rd edition (1856) Lilford. — Lilford (Lord), Coloured figures of the Birds of the British Islands (1885-97) Lorens, Beitr. Om. Nords. Kauk. — Lorenz (Th.), Beitrag zur Kenntniss der Ornithologische Fauna an der Nordseite des Kaukasus (1887) Midd. Sib. Reis.— Middendorff (A. T. von), Reisen in den aussersten Norrlen und Osten Sibiriens, wahrend der Jahre 1843 und 1844, Vogel (Band ii.) (1851-53) Naum. — Naumann (J. F.), Naturgeschichte der Vogel Deutschlands nach eigenen Erfahningen entworfen (1822-60) Newton.— Yarrell's (W.), History of British Birds, 4th Edition. Vols. i. and ii. by Alfred Newton (1871-82) PREFACE vii Gates and Blanf., F. Brit. Ind. Birds. — Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma Birds, vol. i. ii., by E. W. Gates (1889-90), vols. iii. iv., by W. T. Blanford (1895-98) Pall. Zoogr. Ross As. — Pallas (P.S.), Zoographia Rosso- Asiatica, &c., &c. (1811-31) Pleske, Ornith. Ross. — Pleske (Th.), Ornithographia Rossica (in Russian and German) (1889-91) Pleske, Prjevalsky^ s Reisen Vb'gel. — Wissenschaftliche Resultate der von N. M. Prjevalsky nach Central- Asien unternommenen Reisen. Band ii. Vogel, von Th. Pleske (1889-90) Prjev. Mongol, i Strana Tangut. — Prjevalsky (N. M.), Mongolia i. Strana Tangutov, &c., &c. (1875) (in Russian) Radde, Sib. Reise ( Vogel). — Radde (G. F), Reisen im Suden von Ost. Sibirien in den Jahren, 1855-59, &c. (1862-63) Radde, Orn. Cauc.— Radde (G. F.), Ornis. Caucasica, &c. (1884) Ridgway. — Ridgway (R.), A Manual of North American Birds, 2nd edition (1896) Saunders. — Yarrell's (W.), History of British Birds, 4th edition, vols. iii. and iv. by Howard Saunders (1882-1885) Saunders. — Saunders (Howard), An Illustrated Manual of British Birds, 2nd edition (1897-99) Schrenck, Reis., &c.^ Amurl. — Schrenck (L. von), Reisen und Forschungen im Amurlande in den Jahren, 1854-56, Vogel (1860) Seebohm B. Jap. Emp. — Seebohm (H.), The Birds of the Japanese Empire (1890) Sever tz. Turk. Jevot. — Severtzoff (N. A.), Vertikalnoe i Gorozontalnoe Raspredalenie Turkestanskie Jevotnie (1873) (in Russian) Tacz. F. 0. Sib. 0.— Taczanowski (L.), Faune Ornithologique de la Sibe>ie Orientale (1891-93) Temm. and Schlegel, Faun. Jap. Aves. — Fauna Japonica, &c., Aves by Temminck (C. J.) and Schlegel (H.), (1850) Cat. B. Br. Mus. — Catalogue of the Birds in the British Museum, by Sharpe (R. B.) and other authors (1874-98) SYSTEMATIC INDEX TO PART I PAGE Locustella luscinioides (Savi). . 136 Cettia cettii (Harm. ) .... 137 ,, canturians (Swinh.) . . 138 ,, minuta (Sivinh.) . . . 139 ,, cantans (Temm. and Schlcgel) 139 Urosphena squamiceps (Swinh.) . 140 Cisticola cursitans (Franklin) . 140 Prinia gracilis (Cretzschm.) . . 141 Scotocerca inquieta (Cretzschm.). 142 ,, saharse (Loche) . . . 143 Argya squamiceps (Cretzschm.) . 144 ,, fulva (Desfontaines) . . . 144 ,, caudata (Dume'ril) . . . 145 Khopophilus pekinensis (Swinh.) 145 ,, albisuperciliaris (Hume and Renders.) . 146 Pterorhinus davidi, Swinh. . . 147 Trochalopterum ellioti, Verr. . 147 Accentor collaris (Scop. ) . . . 148 ,, erythropygius (Sivinh.) 149 ,, rutilatus, Severtz. . . 150 ,, himalayanus, Blyth . 150 ,, strophiatus, Hodgson . 151 ,, rubeculoides, Moore . 151 ,, atrignlaris, Brandt . . 152 ,, fulvescens, Severtzof . 153 ,, montanellus (Pall. ) . 153 ,, modularis (Linn.) . . 154 ,, rubidtis, Temm. and Schlegel 155 ,, koslovi, Prjev. . . . 155 Panurus biarmicus (Linn.) . . 156 Acredula caudata (Linn.) . . . 157 ,, Tose& (Blyth) .... 158 ,, trivirgata (Temm. and Schleg.) . . . 158 ,, irbii, Sharpe and Dresser 159 ,, caucasica (Lorenz. ) . . 159 ,, sicula, Whitaker. . . 160 , , macedonica, Salvad. and Dresser . . . 160 ,, tephronota (Giinther) . 160 ,, calva, Pleske . . . . 161 Parus major, Linn 161 aphrodite, Madarasz . . 162 minor, Temm. and Schlegel 162 cinereus, Vieill. . . . 163 bokharensis, Licht. . . . 163 ater, Linn 164 britannicus, Sharpe and Dresser 165 Cypriotes, Dresser . . . 165 phseonotus, Blanford . .166 rufipectus, Severtz. . . . 166 ledoucii, Malherbe . . . 166 palustris, Linn 167 salicarius, C. L. Brehm . 168 PAGE Parus baicalensis, Swinh. . . . 169 camtschatkensis (Bp.) . . 170 songarus, Severtz. . . . 170 affinis (Prjev.) . . . . 170 hypermelsena, Berez. and Bianchi 171 lugubris, Natter er . . . 171 cinctus, Bodd 172 obtectus, Cabanis . . . . 173 superciliosus (Prjev.) . . 173 davidi (Berez. and Bianchi) 174 varius, Temm. and Schlegel 174 cyanus, Pall. . . . 175 berezovskii, Pleske . . 176 flavipectus, Severtz. . . 176 pleskii (Cabanis). . . 177 cseruleus, Linn. . . . 177 ultramarinus, Bp. . 178 teneriffse, Lesson . . 179 palmensis, Meade- Waldo . 179 ombriosus, Meade- Waldo . 179 Lophophanes cristatus (Linn.) . 180 ,, rufmuchalis (Blyth) 181 ,, beavani, Blyth. . 181 ,, melanophalus (Vigors) . . . 182 ', , dichroides, Pijevalsky . . 182 ^Egithalus pendulinus (Linn.) . 183 castaneus, Severtz. . 184 coronatus, Severtz. . 184 macronyx, Severtz. . 184 Suthora webbiana, Gray . . . 185 conspicillata, David . . 185 prjevalskii, Berez. and Bianchi 186 Sitta europsea, Linn 186 uralensis, Licht 187 amurensis, Swinh. . . . 187 csesia, Meyer and Wolf. . 188 krueperi, von Pelzeln . . 189 whiteheadi, Sharpe . . . 190 villosa, Verreaux . . . 190 prjevalskii, Berez. and Bianchi 191 neumayeri, Michah, . . . 191 syriaca, Ehr 192 Certhia familiavis, Linn. . . . 192 ,, himalayana, Vigors . . 194 Tichodroma muraria Linn. . . 194 Troglodytes parvulus Koch . . 195 pallidus, Hume . . 196 boreal is, Fischer . . 197 Motacilla lugubris, Temm. . . 197 lugens, Pall. . . . 198 leucopsis, Gould . . 198 hodgsoni, Gray . . . 199 madaraspatensis, Gmel. 199 alba. Linn 200 SYSTEMATIC INDEX TO PART I Kuticilla titys (Scop. ) . . . . ,, ochrura (Gfmel.) . . . ,, schisticeps (Hodgs. ). . ,, coerulocephala ( Vigors) ,, f ron tails ( Vigors) . . Rhyacornis fuliginosus ( Vigors) . Hodgsonius phcenicuroides (Hodgs.) 59 Chimarrhornis leucocephalus (Vigors) 60 PAOE 54 55 56 57 58 58 Qrandala cselicolor, Hodgs. Cyanecula wolfi, G. L. Brehm . ,, suecica (Linn.) . . . Erithacus rubecula (Linn.) . . ,, hyrcanus, Blanf. . . ,, komadori ( Temm. ) . , , akahige ( Temm. ) Calliope camtschatkensis (Gfmel.) ,, tschebaievi, Prjev. . . ,, pectoralis, Gould . . . Cossypha gutturalis, Querin . Nemura cyanura (Pall.) . . . rufilata (Hodgs. ) . . . Larvivora cyane (Pall. ) . . . Daulias luscinia (Linn.) . . . • ,, philomela (Bechst. ) . . ,, hafizi (Severtzoff) . . Sylvia nisoria (Bechst.). . . . althaea, Hume .... 75 curruca (Linn. ) . . . . 76 affinis, Blyth .... 77 minuscula, Hume ... 77 hortensis, Bechst. ... 78 nana (Hempr. and Ehr. ) . 79 conspicillata Marm. . . 80 myatacea, M6n6tr. ... 80 subalpina, Bonelli ... 81 momus, Hempr. and Ehr. 82 melanocephala (Gfmel.) . 83 atricapilla (Linn. ). . . 84 orphea, Temm 85 jerdoni, Blyth .... 86 rueppelli, Temm. ... 86 ,, melanothorax, Tristram . 87 Melizophilus undatus (Bodd. ) . 87 ,, deserticola ( Tristram) 88 f) sardns (Marm.) . . 89 Leptopoecile sopliise, Severtz. . 90 Lophobasileus elegans, Prjev. . 91 Regulus cristatus, Koch ... 91 ,, teneriffse, Seebohm . . 92 ,, ignicapillus (Brehm.) . 93 ,, maderensis, Vernon Har- court 94 Phylloscopus trooliilus (Linn. ) . 94 ,, sibilatrix (Bechst.). 95 bonellii (Vieill.) . 96 . 97 PAGE Phylloscopus tristis, Blyth . . 98 neglectus, Hume . 98 affinis (Tickell) . 99 borealis, Blasius . 99 xanthodryas, Swinh. 100 nitidus, Blyth . . 101 viridanus, Blyth . 101 tenellipes, Swinh. 102 plumbeitarsus,AS'wm^. 102 magnirostris, Blyth 103 lugubris, Blyth. . 103 superciliosus (Gfmel.) 104 proregulus (Pall. ) . 105 coronatus, (Temm. and Schlegel). • . 105 occipitalis (Jerdon) 106 subviridis (Brooks) 107 Hypolais icterina ( Vieill. ) . . 107 polyglotta(FmW.). . 108 ,, olivetorum (Strickl.) . 109 ,, oyaca. (Licht.) . . . 110 ,, pallida (Hempr. and Ehr.) 110 ,, languida (Hempr. and Ehr.) 1141 ,, rama (SyTces) . . . . 112 ,, caligSLtz (Licht.) . . . 113 Aedon galactodes (Temm.) . . 114 ,, iamiliaris (Mtnetr.} . . 115 Acrocephalus agricola, Jerdon . 115 ,, dumetorum, Blyth 116 ,, streperus ( Vieill. ) . 117 ,, palustris (Bechst.) . 118 ,, arundinaceus (Linn.) 119 ,, orientalis (Temm. and Schlegel). . 120 ,, stentoreus (Hempr. and Ehr.) . . 120 ,, bistrigiceps, Swinh. 121 ,, aquaticus (Gfmel.) . 122 ,, schcenob8Bnus(Zi7t?i. ) 128 Lusciniola aedon (Pallas) . . . 124 indica (Jerdon). . . 125 fuscata (Blyth). . . 125 homeyeri (Dybowski) . 126 armandi, Milne Ed- wards .... 126 schwarzi (Radde) . . 127 melanopogon (Temm.) 128 thoracica (Blyth) . . 128 major (Broolcs) . . . 129 taczanowskia (Swinh. ) 130 Locustella nsevia (Bodd. ) . . . 131 straminea (Severtzoff) 132 lanceolata (Temm.) . 132 certhiola (Pall.) . . 133 ochotensis(Af^d.). . 134 fasciolata (Gray) . . 185 fluviatilis(0W/). . 135 SYSTEMATIC INDEX TO PART I PAGE Locustella luscinioides (Savi). . 136 Cettia cettii (Harm. ) .... 137 ,, canturians (Swinh.) . . 138 ,, minuta (Swinh. ) . . . 139 ,, cantans (Temm. and Schlegel) 139 Urosphena squamiceps (Swinh.) . 140 Cisticola cursitans (Franklin) . 140 Prinia gracilis (Cretzschm.) . . 141 Scotocerca inquieta (Cretzschm.). 142 ,, saharse (Loche) . . . 143 Argya squamiceps (Cretzschm.) . 144 ,, fulva (Desfontaines) . . . 144 ,, caudata (Dumtril) . . . 145 Rhopophilns pekinensis (Swinh.) 145 ,, albisuperciliaris (Hume and Renders.) . 146 Pterorhinus davidi, Swinh. . . 147 Trochalopterum ellioti, Verr. . 147 Accentor collaris (Scop.) . . . 148 ,, erythropygius (Swinh.) 149 ,, rufilatus, Severtz. . . 150 ,, himalayanus, Jilyth . 150 ,, strophiatus, Hodgson . 151 ,, rubecnloides, Moore . 151 ,, atrigularis, Brandt . . 152 ,, fulvescens, Severtzqff . 153 ,, montanellus (Pall.) . 153 ,, modularis (Linn.) . . 154 ,, rubidus, Temm. and Schlegel 155 ,, koslovi, Prjev. . . . 155 Panurus biarmicus (Linn.) . . 156 Acredula caudata (Linn.) . . . 157 ,, Tosea. (Blyth) .... 158 ,, trivirgata (Temm. and Schleg.) ... 158 ,, irbii, Sharps and Dresser 159 ,, caucasica (Lorenz. ) . . 159 sicula, Whitaker. . . 160 , , macednnica, Salvad. and Dresser . . . 160 ,, tephroiiota (Gunther) . 160 ,, calva, Pleske . . . . 161 Parus major, Linn 161 aphrodite, Madarasz . . 162 minor, Temm. and Schlegel 162 cinereus, Vieill. . . . 163 bokharensis, Licht. . . . 163 ater, Linn 164 britannicus, Sharpc and Dresser 165 Cypriotes, Dresser ... 165 phseonotus, Blanford . . 166 rufipectus, Severtz. . . . 166 ledoucii, Malherbe ... 166 palustris, Linn 167 salicarius, C. L. Brehm . 168 PAGK Parus baicalensis, Swinh. . . . 169 camtschatkensis (Bp.) . . 170 songarus, Severtz. . . . 170 affinis (Prjev. ) .... 170 hypermelsena, Berez. and Bianchi . . . . . 171 lugubris, Natter er . . . 171 cinctus, Bodd 172 obtectus, Cabanis . . . . 173 superciliosus (Prjev.) . . 173 davidi (Berez. and Bianchi) 174 varius, Temm. and Schlegel 174 cyanus, Pall 175 berezovskii, Pleske . . . 176 flavipectus, Severtz. . . . 176 pleskii (Cabanis). . . . 177 ceeruleus, Linn 177 ultramarinus, Bp. . . 178 teneriffse, Lesson . . . 179 palmensis, Meade- Waldo . 179 ombriosus, Meade- Waldo . 179 Lophophanes cristatus (Linn.) . 180 ,, rufinuchalis (Blyth) 181 ,, beavani, Blyth. . 181 ,, melanoplialus (Vigors) ... 182 ',, dichroides, Pijevalsky . . 182 .ffigithalus pendulinus (Linn.) . 183 castaneus, Severtz. . 184 coronatus, Severtz. . 184 macronyx, Severtz. . 184 Suthora webbiana, Gray . . . 185 conspicillata, David . . 185 prjevalskii, Berez. and Bianchi 186 Sitta europsea, Linn 186 uralensis, LicJit 187 amurensis, Swinh. . . . 187 csesia, Meyer and Wolf. . 188 krueperi, von Pelzebi . . 189 whiteheadi, Sharpe . . . 190 villosa, Verreaux . . . 190 prjevalskii, Berez. and Bianchi 191 neumayeri, Michah, . . . 191 syriaca, Ehr 192 Certhia familiaris, Linn. . . . 192 ,, Mmalayana, Vigors . . 194 Tichodroma muraria Linn. . . 194 Troglodytes parvulus Koch . . 195 pallidus, Hume . . 196 borealis, Fischer . . 197 Mota ilia lugubris, Temm. . . 197 lugens, Pall. . . . 198 leucopsis, Gould . . 198 hodgsoni, Gray . . . 199 madaraspatensis, Gmel. 199 alba, Linn 200 SYSTEMATIC INDEX TO PART I PAGE Emberiza huttoni, Blyth ... 357 ,, csesia, Cretschm. . . 358 ,, leucocephala, Gmcl. . 359 ,, fucata, Pall. , ... 360 ,, arcuata, Sharpe. . . 361 variabilis, Temm. . . 361 rustica, Pall ..... 362 pusilla, Pall. ... 363 cioides, £randt . . . 364 jankowskii, Tacz. . . 365 ciopsis, Bp ..... 365 tristrami, Swinh. „ stewarti, Blyth .. ,, cia, Linn ,, stracheyi, Moore . ,, godlewskii, Tacz. . ,, yessoensis (Swinh. ) ,, schceiiiclus, Linn. . ., passerina, Pall. . ,, pyrrhuloides, Pall. Urocynchramus pylzowi, Prjev. Calcarius lapponicus (Linn.) Plectrophanes nivalis (Linn.) Certhilauda alaudipes (Dcsf.) Rhamphocorys clotbey, Bp. . Otocorys alpestris (Linn.) . . ,, ehvesi, Blanf. ... ,, longirostris, Moore . . ,, brandti, Dresser . . . „ bilopha, (Temm.) . . ,, atlas, Whitaker . . . „ penicillata, Gould . . Melanocorypha calandra (Linn. ) ,, maxima, Gould . bimacnlata 366 367 368 368 369 370 370 371 372 372 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 379 380 380 381 381 382 383 384 385 385 ,, sibirica (Gm.) . „ mongolica (Potf.) ,, yeltoniensis(F0rs£.) 386 Alauda arvensis, Linn , . . 387 ,, gulgula, Fraiikl. ,, arborea, Linn. . Corydus cristatus (Linn.} . . 390 ,, isabellinus Bp. . . 392 Calandrella brachydactyla (Lcisl.) 393 ,, minor (Cab.) . . . 394 ,, bsetica, Dresser . . 395 pispoletta(PaZZ.) . 395 ,, leucophfea, Severtz. . 396 Ammomanes deserti (Licht.) . . 397 ,, cinctura (Gould) . 398 Sturnus vulgaris, Linn. . . . 399 „ purpurascens, Gould. . 400 ,, poltaratzskyi, Finsch . 400 ,, caucasicus, Lorenz. . . 400 ,, uni color, M arm. . . . 401 Pastor roseus (Linn.) .... 401 Spodiopsarcineraceus(Te»m.) . 402 PACK Sturnia sturnina ( PaZZ) . ... 403 ,, violacea (Bodd.) . . . 404 Pyrrhocorax graculus, (Linn. ) . 405 „ alpinus, Vieill. . . 406 Podoces panderi, Fischer . . . 406 ,, pleskii, Zarudny . . . 407 ,, hendersoni, Hume . . 408 ,, biddulphi, Hume . . 408 ,, humilis, Hume . . . 409 Nucifraga caryocatactes (Linn ) . 409 Perisoreus infaustus (Linn. ) . . 410 Garrulus glandarius (Linn. ) . . 41 1 „ hyrcanus Blanf. . . . 412 ,, minor, Verreaux. . . 412 „ brandti, Eversm. . . 413 ,, atricapillus, St. Hilaire 413 ,, krynickii, Kalenicz . 414 ,, cervicalis, Bp. . . . 414 ,, japonicus, Temm. and ScUegel ... 415 ,, lidthi, Bp 415 Cyanopica cooki, By 416 ,, cy ana. (Pall.) . . . 416 Pica rustica (Scopoli) . . . . 417 ,, mauritanica, Malh. . . . 418 Corvus dauuricus, Pall. . . . 419 monedula, Linn. . . . 419 neglectus, SchUgel . . 420 corone, Linn 421 comix, Linn 421 macrorhynchus, Wagler . 422 corax, Linn 423 umbrinus, Sundevall . . 424 leptonyx, Peale . . . 425 affinis, Riipp 425 frugilegus, Linn. pastinator, Gould . . Cypselus apus (Linn.) . . . ,, pekinensis, Swinh. ,, muriims, Brehm. . ,, unicolor, Jardine . ,, affinis, Gray and Hardw. . . . ,, pacificus, (Latham). ,, melba (Linn.) . . Acanthyllis caudacuta, (Lath.) Caprimulgus europaeus, Linn. ,, ruticollis, Temm. ,, indicus, Latham >» segyptius, Licht. mahrattensis, Sykes 426 427 427 428 428 429 429 430 430 431 432 433 434 435 436 Picus martius, Linn 437 ,, richardi, (Tristram.) . . 437 Dendrocopus major (Linn.) . 438 „ poelzami (Bogd.) . 439 ,, leucopterus, Sal' vadori . . - 439 ,, japonicus (Seebohm) 440 numifacus (Math.) 440 SYSTEMATIC INDEX TO PART I Dendrocopus mauritanicus (L, Brehm.) . . 441 „ himalayensis (Jard. and Selby) ... 441 cabanisi (Malherbe) 442 „ darjilensis (Blyth) 442 ,, pernyi ( Verreaux) 443 ,, sindianus (Horsf. and Moore). . 443 , , syriacus (Hempr. and Ehr.) . . 444 „ minor (Linn. ). . 444 pipra, (Pall.) . 445 ,, danfordi (Eargitt) 446 , , auriceps ( Vigors') . 446 , , leuconotus (Bechst. ) 447 ,, lilfordi (Sharpe and Dresser) , , namiyei (Stejneger) ,, medius (Linn.) . sancti-johannis (Blanf.) ... lyngipicus scintilliceps (Swinh, ) ,, doerriesi, Hargitt . . ,, kizuki ( Temm. ) . . Picoides tridactylus (Linn. ) . . Gecinus viridis (Linn. ) ... sharpii, Saunders . . . awokera ( Temm. ) . . flavirostris, Zarudny canus (Gmel.) ... lynx torquilla (Linn.) ... Alcedo ispida, Linn Ceryle rudis (Linn.) ... ,, lugubris(Tem>n.) .. Halcyon coromandus (Lath. ) . ,, smyrnensis (Linn. ) . pileatus (Bodd.) .. Coracias garrulus, Linn. . . ,, indicus, Linn. . . Eurystomus orientalis, (Linn. Merops apiaster, Linn. . . ,, persicus, Pall. . . „ viridis, Linn 448 448 449 449 450 451 451 452- 453 454 454 454 455 456 457 458 459 460 460 461 462 462 463 464 465 466 467 Upupa epops, Linn 467 Cuculus canorus, Linn. . . . 468 „ saturatus, Hodgs.. . . 470 ,, poliocephalus, Lath. . 471 ,, micropterus, Gould . . 471 Coccystes glandarius (Linn. ) . 472 Hierococcyx sparveroides ( Vigors) 473 „ fugax (flora/kM) . 474 Coccyzus americanus (Linn. ) . 474 , , erythrophthalmus, (Wilson) .... 475 Strix stridula, Linn 476 ,, uralensis, Pall 477 „ nivicola (Hodgs.). . . . 478 ,, biddulphi (Scully) . . . 478 ,, lapponica, Retz 479 Nyctea scandiaca (Linn. ) . . . 480 Surnia ulula (Linn.) .... 481 ,, funerea (Linn. ) .... 482 Nyctala tengmalmi (Grind. ) . . 482 Asio otus (Linn.) 483 ,, accipitrinus (Pall.) . . . 484 capensis (Smith) .... 485 gill (Scopoli) 486 cyprius Madarasz. . . . 487 „ japonicus, Temm. and Schlegel 488 ,, brucii (Hume) .... 488 ,, semitorques (Temm. and Schlegel) 489 Bubo ignavus, Forst 489 ,, turcomanus (Eversm. ) . . 490 sibiricus, Licht 490 blakistoni, Seebohm . . 491 dorriesi, Seebohm. . . . 491 ascalaplms Savigni/ . . . 492 bengalensis (Franicl. ) . . 492 Glaucidium passerinum (Linn.) . 493 ,, brodiei (Burton) . . 494 Ninox sciitulata (Raffl.) . . . 495 Athene noctua (Scop. ) . . . . 496 , , glaux (Savigny) . . . 496 ,, bactriana, Hutton . . . 497 Aluco flammeus (Linn. ) . . . 497 MANUAL OF PAL^ARCTIC BIRDS TURDUS, Linn., 1766. 1. MISTLETOE THRUSH. TURDUS VISCIVORUS. Turdus viscivorus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 291 (1766) ; Naumann, ii. p. 248,. Taf. 66 ; Hewitson, i. p. 79, pi. xxiii. fig. 1 ; Gould, B. of E. ii. pi. 77 ; id. B. of Gt. Brit. ii. pi. 32 ; Newton, i. p. 258 ; Dresser, ii. p. 3, pi. 1 ; Gates, F. Brit. Ind. ii. p. 148 ; Tacz. F. O. Sib. 0. p. 286 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 194 ; Saunders, p. 1 ; Lilford, iii. p. 80, pi. 40. Draine, Grive de gui, French ; Tordeira, Portuguese ; Charla Drena, Spanish; Tordela, Italian ; Mistel-Drossel, German; Groote Lijster, Dutch ; Mistel-Drossel, Danish ; Duetrost, Norwegian ; Dubbel-Trast, Swedish ; Kulo-rastas, Rossa-rastas, Finnish ; Drozd-JDerydba, Russian. (£ ad. (England). Above greyish brown, inclining to olivaceous ; beneath buffy white, boldly spotted with blackish brown ; eye-streak obsolete ; axillaries and tinder wing-coverts pure white. Culmen 0'9, wing 6*0, tail 4'8 ,, tarsus 1*3 inch. Sexes alike. The nestling is spotted and streaked above with golden buff. Hob. N. and Central Europe and Asia as far east as Lake Baikal ; in winter south to N. Africa, Persia, Turkestan, and N.W. Himalayas. Frequents woods, orchards, and cultivated districts, and is, as a rule, somewhat shy. It feeds on insects, snails, worms, and, in winter, on berries of various kinds, and seems to be the species most partial to the mistletoe, its fondness for which is shown by its ancient Greek name, Igofiopos, given by Aristotle. Its call-note is loud and Jatarsh, and its song, which is clear and high-toned, may be hea^Pas early as January or February. Its TURDUS breeding-range in Europe extends from Greece and Southern Spain to about 68° N. lat. The nest, usually placed on the branch of a tree, often at a considerable height, is constructed of twigs, bents, moss. &c., the foundation plastered with mud, and is lined with fine grass, rootlets, and, occasionally, moss. The eggs, 4 or 5 in number, are reddish grey or brownish olive, marked with purplish brown or dark reddish brown, and measure about 1*32 by 0*9. They are frequently deposited in February, and both sexes share in the task of incubation. The Himalayan form, T. hodgsoni, Homeyer, is, as a rule, rather larger and paler in colour, but on comparing a series I find no specific difference between specimens from the Himalayas and Europe. 2. SONG THRUSH. TURDUS MUSICUS. Turdus musicus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 292 (1766) ; Naumann, ii. p. 262, Taf. 66 ; Hewitson, i. p. 81, pi. xxiii.'fig. 2; Gould, B. of E. ii. pi. 78, fig. 2 ; id. B. of Gt. Brit. ii. pi. 32 ; Newton, i. p. 264 ; Dresser, ii. p. 19, pi. 2 ; Tacz. F. 0. Sib. 0. p. 316 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 191 ; Saunders, p. 3 ; Lilford, iii. p. 82, pi. 41. Grive, French ; Tordo, Portug. ; Zorzal, Span. ; Tordo bottacio, Ttal. ; Sing-Drossel, German ; Zanglijster, Dutch ; Graadrossel, Dan. ; Naaltrost, Norweg. ; Tatttrast, Swed. ; Haukirastas, Finn. ; Drozd-pavtschi, Russ. Ad. (England). Axillaries buff, eye-streak indistinct ; bill horn-brown, the lower mandible yellowish at the base ; legs pale brown. Culmen 0'8, wing 4'5, tail 3'3, tarsus 1 '3 inch ; second primary shorter than the sixth. The female is usually smaller and paler : the nestling has the upper parts golden brown striped with bright buff, the under parts washed with golden buff ; axillaries and under wing-coverts golden buff. Hob. Europe generally, north to about 60° N. lat., Asia as far east as Lake Baikal, in winter ranging as far south as Persia and Nubia. In Great Britain and Ireland most of those that have nested with us emigrate in autumn, and those that winter with us are increased in number by arrivals from the Continent. In January and February those which have migrated south return to their home and so remain till the following autumn. The Song Thrush frequents groves, woods, and gardens, where its clear melodious song is often heard as early as February, or even in January, and late into the summer months. It feeds on worms, snails, and insects of various kinds, and their larvae, and TURDUS usually seeks its food on the ground; big snails it beats on a stone to break the shell before picking them to pieces and eating them. When the fruit is ripe it varies its diet with the smaller fruit and berries, and in winter feeds on various kinds of wild berries. Its nest is constructed of grass-bents, roots, moss, &c., and lined with a mixture of rotten wood and clay or dung, and the surface is carefully smoothed. It is usually placed on a bush or tree, but occasionally on a bank or amongst ivy or creepers. The eggs, 4 or 5 in number, are deposited late in March or in April, are blue, spotted with black or occasionally with red or brownish purple, but sometimes are blue, unspotted. In size they average about TO by 0'8. Two broods are usually raised in the season. 3. MONGOLIAN SONG THRUSH. TURDUS AURITUS. Turdus auritus, Verr. N. Arch. Mus. Bull. vi. p. 34 (1870) ; Prjev. Mong. i. Strana Tang. ii. pi. xx., fig. 13 (egg) ; Pleske, Prjevalsky's Keisen, Vogel, p. 4, Taf. v. fig. 1 (eggs) ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 193. Ad. (Kansu). Kesembles T. musicus, but is of a richer olive brown .above, the spots on the wing-coverts are more clearly defined ; below with larger and darker spots, the feathers on the cheeks with black terminal bands ; axillaries and under wing-coverts darker buff ; 3rd, 4th, and 5th quills nearly equal and longest, 2nd slightly longer than the 7th ; beak brown, the base of the lower mandible white ; legs greyish flesh ; iris brown. Culmen 0'9, wing 4*7, tail 3'8, tarsus T37 inch. Sexes alike. The nestling has the upper parts spotted and striped with warm ochreous, the spots on the under parts smaller and washed with ochreous. Hob. Northern China (E. Szechuen and Pekin) and Kansu in Mongolia. It frequents mountain groves in Mongolia, and is not com- mon. Prjevalsky found two nests at Kansu in the middle of May, one on a broken tree stump, and the other on a willow branch, not above seven feet from the ground. He does not describe the nest, but the eggs, he says, differ widely from those of Turdus musicus, and run into two varieties, one having the ground colour dull vinous, and the otheF light dull olivaceous, and the markings are violet-grey shell blotches, and larger and smaller rusty-red surface spots; they are rounder in shape than those of T. musicus, and in size average T05 by 0'8. He saw fledged young on the 30th June. B 2 TURDUS 4. SWAINSON'S THRUSH. TURDUS SWAINSONI. Turdus swainsoni, Cabanis in Tschudi's Faun. Peru. ii. p. 187, 188, (1845-46) ; Naumann, xiii. p. 273, Taf. 355, fig. 4 ; Dresser, ix. p. 1. pi. 634, fig. 2 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 201. Ad. (N. America). Above olivaceous tinged with green, the rump and tail uniform with the back ; below white spotted with blackish brown, the sides of head, neck and the breast washed with buff ; eye-streak indistinct ; bill dark brown, yellowish at the base ; legs brown ; iris hazel. Culmen 0*52, wing 3'9, tail 2'9, tarsus I'l inch. Hob. Eastern N. America, from the Yukon and Slave Lake, breeding as far south as at 44° N. lat., in winter ranging as far south as Peru ; has once occurred in Greenland, and is a rare visitant to Europe, but has not occurred in Great Britain. Six occurrences have been recorded in Europe, viz. one near Genoa in 1843, a second at Namur, Belgium, a third on Heligoland in 1869, a fourth in Holstein, a fifth near Rovereto, Tyrol, in 1878, and a sixth at Sarzana in Liguria. In general habits it is rather more arboreal than its congeners, and seeks its food more amongst the branches of trees than on the ground, feeding chiefly on insects of various kinds. Its song is sweet and plaintive, and is said to be more regular than that of T. pallasi. Its nest is placed on a tree in dense woods, usually about four to six feet above the ground, though in the high north it has been found as low as two feet. It is compact and neatly finished, constructed of lichen, moss, chiefly Hypnum, leaves, bents, strips of bark, &c., and the eggs 4 or 5 in number, which are usually deposited late in April or early in May, are bluish-green, occasionally light blue, spotted with yellowish- or reddish-brown, averaging in size about 0*88 by 0*66. In Western N. America a closely allied form occurs, which is separated by American authors under the name of T. ustidatus Nutt., and which ranges north to Sitka, and in winter south through Western Mexico to Guatemala. 5. HERMIT THRUSH. TURDUS PALLASI. Turdus pallasi, Cab. inWiegm. Arch. (1847), p. 205 ; Naumann, xiii. p.. 273, Taf. 355, figs. 1, 2 ; Dresser, ix. p. 5, pi. 634, fig. 1 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 199 ; Merula solitaria Swains. Faun. Bor. Am. ii. p. 184, pi. 35. TURDUS Ad. (New Brunswick). Above brownish olivaceous, tail and upper tail- coverts reddish brown ; below white washed with pale buff, sides of throat and breast marked with sub-triangular dark brown spots ; bill darkish brown, pale yellowish at the base ; legs brownish ; iris hazel. Culmen 0'59 wing 3'64, tail 2'88, tarsus 1'19 inch. Hal. North America, east of the Rocky Mountains, wintering as far south as Florida ; has strayed to Europe, one having been obtained at Klein Zerbst, in Anhalt in 1825 a second in Switzerland, a third in Heligoland in 1836, and a fourth, which is, however, open to doubt, near Vienna in 1846. It frequents wooded, swampy localities, especially alder swamps, hence its name " Swamp Robin," by which it is gene- rally known in New Brunswick, and is more terrestrial in its habits than Turdus swainsoni. Its song is exceeedingly sweet and melodious, and it was certainly the best songster I met with in New Brunswick. Its food consists chiefly of insects, worms, and small snails, which it picks up from the ground. Its nest is placed on the ground in damp, swampy, bush-covered localities, and is constructed of dead leaves, grass- bents, weeds, and bark-strips, lined with fine fibres, and the eggs 4 or 5 in number are deposited in May or early in June, and are uniform greenish-blue, unspotted, measuring about 0*88 by 0'7. American ornithologists recognise two sub- species of the present bird, viz., Turdus names, which inhabits Western North America, from Kodiak to Cape St. Lucas and Arizona, and Turdus auduboni, which inhabits the Rocky Moun- tains from Fort Bridger south into Mexico. 6. GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH. TURDUS ALICLJE. Turdus alicice, Baird. B. N. Am. p. 217, pi. 81, fig. 2 (1858) ; Taczs. F. O. Sib. 0. p. 318 ; Palmen, Vega. Exp. Fogelf., p. 262 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 202. Oyngoptschzkadlin, Tschuktch. Ad. (N. America). Differs from T. swainsoni in having the upper parts greyish olive, sides of the head ashy grey ; under parts white, the chest sometimes tinged with buff, and marked with triangular plumbeous brown spots ; axillaries dull greyish olivaceous ; a distinct whitish orbital ring ; legs brown. Culmen 0'55, wing 4'0, tail 3*2, tarsus 1*1 inch. The young of these three American Thrushes differ from the adult in having the upper parts marked with warm buff, and the adults are rather darker in the autumn than in the spring. Sexes similar. 6 TURDUS Hob. N. America, from Labrador to the Behring Straits, south to the northern States in summer, ranging in winter as far south as Costa Rica. Not uncommon in N.E. Siberia. Frequents pine-woods more than those composed of deciduous trees, and is said to be far more shy than T. swainsoni. Its food is much the same as that of its congeners, and it usually obtains it on the ground. Its song is said to differ from that of its congeners, most nearly resembling, however, that of T. pallasi. Its nest, which is placed on a tree or bush at from 2 to 7 feet above the ground is constructed of sedge, grass- bents, bark-strips, and stems of the more delicate JSquisetacew, never of Hypnum, and the eggs, usually 4 in number are greenish blue, bluer than those of T. swainsoni, spotted with russet and yellowish/ brown, averaging in size about 0 92 by 0-64. Mr. Ridgway separates an eastern form, inhabiting the N.E. United States, which he calls T. licknelli, and should this separation be justified, which I am inclined to doubt, it will not be this form but true T. alicice which inhabits N.E. Siberia. 7. REDWING. TURDUS ILIACUS. Turdus iliacus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 292 (1766) ; Naumamiii. p. 276, Taf. 67 ; Hewitson, i. p. 87, pi. xxiv. figs. 1, 2 ; Newton, i. p. 268 ; Dresser, i. p. 35, pi. 3 ; Tacz. F. O. Sib. 0. p. 314 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 189 ; Saunders, p. 5 ; Lilford, iii. p. 84, pi. 42. Mauvis, French ; Tordo pisco, Portug. ; Malvis, Span. ; Tordo sassello, Ital. ; Rothdrossel, German ; Roeddrossel, Dan. ; JRcedving, •Norweg. ; Rodvinge-Trast, Swed. ; Punirastas, Finn. ; Drozd- oriechou-yi, Russ. ; Skogar Thrcestr, Icel. Ad. (Sweden). Above brown, the wings rather darker, the coverts edged with greyish brown ; below white spotted and streaked with blackish brown ; a well defined whitish eye-streak, axillaries wing-coverts, and flanks orange chestnut ; bill dark brown, lower mandible paler at the base ; legs greyish flesh brown ; iris brown. Culmen O7, wing 4'6, tail 3-5, tarsus 1*0 inch. Sexes alike. The young are streaked above with ochreous, and have the flanks and under wing-coverts dull rufous. In the autumn the adult is rather darker, the eye-streak is tinged with rufous, and the flanks and the wing-coverts are less richly coloured. Hob. Iceland, the northern portions of Norway, Sweden Finland, and N. Russia, breeding as far south as North TURDUS Germany. In Asia it is common to the Yenesei valley and occurs in decreasing numbers east to the Pacific Ocean. In winter it ranges south to Algeria, Madeira, the Canaries, Turkestan, Persia, and the Himalayas. In Britain it only occurs on migration and in winter. It frequents the woodlands and is but seldom seen in open tree-less localities, and its food is similar to that of its congeners. Its song is clear and sweet, though somewhat melancholy and in quality inferior to that of Turdus musicus. The nest, which is placed on a very low tree or bush, or even on the ground, is constructed of pine-twigs, bents, and lichens, the foundation being plastered with earth, and the eggs, usually 6 in number, are deposited in May or early in June, resemble those of T. merula but are smaller, measuring about 1*0 by O'TO, but like thoseof many other species they vary, exhibiting what may be termed a " red " or a " green " type, not that either of these colours is in its purity ever reached, but in a series of eggs the tendency to one or the other extreme tinge is clearly shown. 8. DUSKY THRUSH. TURDUS DUBIUS. Turdus dutius, Bechst. Naturg. Deutschl. iv. p. 240 Taf. v. b (1795) ; Dresser, ii. p. 63, pi. 7 ; T. fuscatus. Pall. Zoogr. Ross. As. i. p. 451 (1871), Naumann, xiii. p. 307 taf. 359, figs. 1,2, Gould. B. of E. pi. 79 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 262 ; Tacz. F. 0. Sib. 0., p. 289 ; Dresser, Ibis., 1901, p. 446, pi. ix. figs. 1-4 (eggs). Drozd chernosoboy , Russ. Ad. (Yenesei). Above greyish brown, streaked with dark brown ; super- cilium buff ; rump washed with rufous ; tail blackish brown ; quills broadly margined with rufous ; below dull white, spotted on the sides with black ; breast and flanks boldly marked with black ; under wing- coverts and axillaries rufous ; bill dark brown, yellowish at the base ; legs light brown ; iris dark brown. Culmen 0'82, wing 5'15, tail 3*8, tarsus 1*35 inch. The young bird is much paler and duller, the under parts less boldly marked, and the margins of the wing-feathers are paler and greyish rufous in colour. Hob. Asia as far north as the limit of tree growth, east to Kamchatka, the Commander Islands, and Japan, in winter rang- ing south to China, Mongolia, Assam, and N.W. India. To 8 TURDUS Europe it is a rare straggler, having occurred twice in Norway, once in Germany, once in Belgium, and four times in Italy. In general habits it is said to resemble the Fieldfare and Mistletoe Thrush. Its call-note is loud and harsh. It breeds on the Yenesei river, its nest being similar to that of the Fieldfare, and is placed on small isolated trees, usually not more than two feet from the ground. Its eggs vary from the ordinary Blackbird type to those of the Fieldfare, and are usually deposited in June. 9. FIELDFARE. TURDUS PILARIS. Turdus pilaris, Linn. i. p. 291 (1766) ; Nanmann, ii. p. 296, Taf. 67 ; Hewitson, i. p. 84, pi. 23, fig. 3 (egg) ; Newton, i. p. 272 ; Dresser, ii. p. 41, pis. 4, 5 ; Tacz. F. 0. Sib. O. p. 287 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 205 ; Gates, F. Brit. Ind. Birds, ii. p. 150 ; Saunders, p. 7 ; Lilford, iii. p. 86, pi. 43. Grim litorne, French ; Tordo zonal, Portug. ; Tordelagazzina, Ital. ; Wachholder-Drossel, German ; Kramsvogel, Dutch ; Krams- fuggel, Dan. ; Graa-trost, Norweg. ; Bjorktrast, Snoskata, Swed. ; Rakattirastas, Finn. ; Rastis, Lapp ; Drozd-riabinnik, Russ. Ad. (Finland). Head, hind neck, and rump bluish grey; the crown spotted with black ; superciliary and malar stripes buffy white ; centre of back, scapulars, and wing-coverts dark chestnut ; quills and tail blackish brown ; under parts white, throat and breast ochreous, the latter and flanks broadly marked with black ; under wing-coverts and axillaries white ; bill yellow, tipped with horn -brown; legs reddish-black ; iris brown. Culmen 0'85, wing 5*8, tail 4*5, tarsus 1 '3 inch. In winter the plumage is duller ; the head shaded with brown, the feathers on the breast and flanks margined with fulvous white ; beak horn-brown, yellowish at the base. The young bird has the upper parts much duller and striped with ochreous ; the rump tinged with ochreous ; under parts ochreous, becoming white on the lower breast and abdomen ; the breast closely spotted with blackish. Hob. Northern Europe and Asia as far east as the Yenesei valley occurring, though rarely, further east to Dauria, breeding in Scandinavia and North Russia and occasionally in North Germany and Central Russia ; in winter passing south to N. Africa, Turkestan, Kashmir, and N.W. India. A winter visitant only to Great Britain. TURDUS It frequents wooded and cultivated localities preferring woods of birch and pine. Its usual call-note is a loud harsh cackle but it utters also a softer one resembling the syllables qui-qui. Its song which is usually uttered when the bird is on the wing is poor. It breeds in scattered colonies, the nest being placed on a tree or bush, or occasionally on a stump, and constructed of grass-bents, pine-twigs, and moss, the foundation plastered with clay, and the lining is usually of fine grass. The eggs from 4 to 6 in number are greenish-blue, marked with reddish brown, richer coloured and more sparingly marked than those of T. merula, and larger than those of T. iliacus, ''averaging about 1'5 by 0'85. They are subject to considerable variation in tone of ground-colour and markings. 10. REDTAILED FIELDFARE. TURDUS NAUMANNI. Turdus naumanni Temm. Man. d'Orn. e"d. 21, ii. p. 170 (1820) ; Naumann, ii. p. 288, Taf. 68, 358 ; Dresser, ii. p. 59, pi. vi. ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 264 ; Tacz. F. 0. Sib. O. p. 294 ; David and Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 153. Ad. (N. Siberia). Above greyish brown, more or less marked with chest- nut-red ; rump, upper tail-coverts and tail foxy -red, the last paler ; throat, breast, and flanks foxy-red ; a line of black spots on each side of the throat ; abdomen white, slightly marked with rufous ; axillaries, under wing- and tail-coverts fox-red ; bill blackish brown, yellowish at the base ; legs light brown ; iris dark brown. Culmen 0'8, wing 5*5, tail 4*1, tarsus 1*3 inch. The female is rather more olivaceous above, but the breast less rufous, the throat white washed with rufus, both spotted with blackish. The young bird has the upper parts, including the rump, olivaceous brown, the streak over the eye buffy white, the throat spotted with blackish brown, the flanks slightly marked and the breast washed with rusty-red. In the winter dress the feathers on the breast and flanks are margined with white. Hal}. Northern Asia, eastward to Japan ; a rare straggler to Europe, where it has occurred in Hungary, Austria, Germany, Belgium, and Southern France, and doubtfully in Italy. It winters in China but has not been recorded from India. In general habits it resembles T. diibius, but is less shy and affects pine-woods. Its song is sweet and clear and is said to resemble that of T. musicus. Nothing definite was known of its 10 TURDUS nidification until Mr. Popham found a nest containing eggs in the Yenesei valley and shot the female as she left her nest. These eggs so closely resemble some of those of T. dubius, that it is scarcely possible to identify them unless by obtaining the parent bird. 11. GOULD'S THRUSH. TURDUS GOULDI. Turdus gouldi, Terr. Nonv. Arcliiv. Mns. Hist. Nat. vi. Bull. p. 34, (1870) ; Prjev. in Kowley's Orn. Misc. ii. p. 198 ; David and Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 148, pi. xxxiv ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 260 ; Pleske, Prjevalsky's Eeisen, Vogel, ii. p. 18. (£ ad. (Mongolia). Head and neck slaty brown, crown, darker, back, scapulars, and rump rich chestnut ; wings and tail blackish brown ; under part chestnut, the centre of abdomen dirty white ; under wing-coverts chestnut, under tail-coverts varied black, white, and chestnut ; bill yellow ; legs pale brown ; iris brown. Culmen T06, wing 5'6, tail 4'7, tarsus 1*4 inch. The female is paler and duller, and has the throat finely streaked with dull white. The male nestling has the head and neck blackish with brown margins, sides of neck and cheeks tinged with dull yellowish white ; upper parts rusty-red, nape and tail-coverts brownish, all with white or reddish white shaft stripes and black tips ; throat yellowish white ; under parts irregularly banded with black and yellowish ochreous ; bill brown, lighter towards the tip ; legs pale brownish. The female nestling is paler, the crown, nape, and hind neck are earth-brown, the throat is white, striped with black on the sides ; under parts ochreous, the breast and flanks washed with rusty-red, and breast and abdomen barred with blackish brown. The young bird has the bill brown, lighter towards the tip, legs light brown. Hob. Kansu, Western Szechuen, and Moupin, where it is common. In summer it inhabits the forests high up in the moun- tains, descending to the valleys in winter when it is often seen near human habitations. It is said to breed in the thickets which fringe the mountain streams but its nest and eggs are unknown. Its song is said to resemble that of Turdus merula but is harsher and less silvery in tone. When in company with its young it utters a call like that of Lanms tephronotus. TURDUS 11 12. KESSLER'S THRUSH. TURDUS KESSLERI. Turdus Tcessleri, Prjev. Mong. i Strana Tangut. p. 62, pi. x. (1876) ; id. in Rowley's Orn. Misc. ii. p. 198, pi. liv ; (Seebohm), Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 261 ; Pleske, Prjevalsky's Beisen, Vogel, ii. p. 21, Taf. v. fig. 2,. (eggs). £ ad. (Kansu). Head, neck, wings, and tail blackish ; back and lower breast buff; scapulars, rump, flanks, and abdomen chestnut red; under wing-coverts buffy white with brown tips ; bill yellow ; legs brown. Culmen TO, wing 6'0, tail 4'6, tarsus 1-4 inch. In the female the head, neck, wings, and tail are sooty grey, the latter tinged with brown ; upper parts brownish grey, rump washed with rusty ochreous ; abdomen and flanks brighter rusty ochreous ; bill horn-coloured at the base, yellowish at the tip. The nestling male !has the crown, nape, hind-neck, and ear-coverts blackish brown, the hind-neck slightly spotted with buffy white ; back and scapulars ashy grey at base, then blackish with a sub-terminal buffy white band ; rump paler ; upper tail-coverts blackish grey with whitish shaft- stripes and tips ; under parts dull brownish yellow, irregularly banded ; breast and moustache distinctly spotted ; sides of neck spotted with blackish ; flanks marked with chestnut ; upper wing-coverts black, the lesser broadly, the median narrowly margined with reddish yellow, the former having also reddish yellow stripes ; wings and tail blackish. The female nestling is much paler and the bars are finer and closer. Hob. Kansu, the Upper Chuanche, and southern Koko-nor mountains. It inhabits woods both deciduous and conifer in the moun- tains, bushes in the alpine districts, and juniper thickets in the lower alpine region, occurring up to an altitude of 12,000 feet. In spring and autumn it is seldom seen in pairs but in flocks of three to ten individuals. Fledged young were seen in July and family parties in August. In habits it resembling Turdus gouldi, and is an equally good songster ; its song resembles that of the Song Thrush. Its call note resembles the syllables tschok, tschok, tschok. Two nests taken by Prjevalsky in the Southern Koko-nor Mountains on the 26th of May, contained 8 and 4 fresh eggs, and were placed in rocks under a protruding stone, one about seven and the other about four- teen feet above the dry bed of a stream, and placed where they were easily seen. One was built entirely of grass-bents and the other of grass-bents lined with hair, and feathers of Perdix sifanica. The eggs resembled those of the Fieldfare but several were so closely spotted that the ground colour was scarcely 12 TURDUS visible. In size they varied from 33 by 23 to 31'6 by 22*25 millimetres (1'30 by 0'91 to 1'23 by 0'88 inch). Both male and female took their share in incubating. 13. SWINHOE'S THRUSH. TURDUS HORTULORUM. Turdus hortulorum, Sclater, Ibis, 1863, p. 196 ; (Seebohm), Cat. B.'Br. Mus. v. p. 267 ; Turdus cardis, (nee. Temm.), Swinhoe, Ibis, 1861, p. 37 ; T. pelios (nee. Bp.), Cab. J. f. 0. 1870, p. 238 ; Tacz. F. O. Sib. 0. p. 311 ; T. camplelli, Swinh. Ann. Nat. Hist. 1873, p. 374 ; T. chrysopleurus, id. Ibis, 1874, p. 444, pi. xiv. $ ad. (E. Siberia). Upper parts pale slate-grey, crown tinged with greyish, lores brownish, throat and breast whitish grey, the former streaked with darker grey ; lower breast, flanks, axillaries, and under wing-coverts rich deep orange red ; beak and legs yellow, iris brown. Culmen 0'85, wing 4 '6, tail 3'2, tarsus 1 '3 inch. The female differs in having the upper parts almost uniform olive brown, the middle of the throat nearly white and the cheeks and breast spotted with dark brown. The young bird has the upper parts greyish brown, the crown striated, the sides of the head pale grey, throat white, moustachal stripe brown ; molar stripe white ; lower throat buff, spotted ; centre of abdomen white, the flanks pale rufous. Hob. Eastern Siberia, the Ussuri country, and the coasts of the sea of Japan, wintering in Southern China. It arrives in the Ussuri country early in May, inhabits the forests, and is extremely shy. It is an excellent songster sur- passing it is said all other Siberian Thrushes. The nest, which is placed in a tree, is constructed of grass-bents, plant stems, and rootlets and lined with similar but finer materials, The egg is pale green spotted and marked with rusty-red and measures 25 by 19 millimetres (0*99 by 075 inch). 14. JAPANESE BROWN THRUSH. TURDUS CHRYSOLAUS. Turdus chrysolaus, Temm, PI. Col. pi. 537 (1831) ; Temm and Schleg. Faun. Jap. Aves, p. 64, pi. xxviii • Schrenck Eeis. &c., Amurl. i. p. 352 ; (Seebohm), Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 275 ; Tacz. F. 0. Sib. 0. p. 313. Akahara, Japanese. g ad. (Japan). Upper parts pale russet-brown, the head tinged with grey ; lores, darker ; chin and throat sooty -brown ; breast and flanks rich fox-red ; abdomen and under tail-coverts white ; axillaries and under wing- coverts pale slate-grey tinged with dull white ; beak brown, paler at base TURDUS 13 of lower mandible ; legs pale brown. Culmen O8, wing 4'8, tail 3'3, tarsus 1'2 inch. Female paler and duller, the throat slightly marked with dirty white. The young have the upper parts as in the adult but spotted with ochreous, the feathers tipped with black, these markings fainter on the rump ; throat and flanks orange, becoming pale straw colour on the lower throat ; flanks barred and throat spotted with black. Hob. The Ussuri country in Eastern Siberia, Saghalien, and Japan, wintering in Southern China, Hainan, Formosa, and ranging as far south as the Philippines. It breeds in Japan and on the island of Saghalien, its nest being placed usually in pine-trees from four to thirty feet above the ground, and the eggs, usually 4 in number, which are deposited from the latter part of May to the end of July, are greenish blue rather richly spotted with reddish brown and measure about 1*06 by 0'78. 15. DUSKY THRUSH. TURDUS OBSCURUS. Turdus obscurus, Gmel. Syst. Nat. i. p. 876 (1788) ; Tacz. F. 0. Sib., 0. p. 306 ; (Gates) F. Brit. Incl. Birds, ii. p. 134 ; Dresser, ii. p. 71, pi. 8 ; (Seebohm) Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 273 ; Dresser, Ibis, 1901, p. 445, pi. ix. figs. 1-4 (eggs) ; T. pattens, Pall. Zoogr. Ross. As. i. p. 457, (1811) ; T. pallidus (nee. Gmel.) Temm. Man. d'Orn., iii. p. 97. £ ad. (Yenesei). Head and neck slaty brown ; rest of upper parts olivaceous brown ; wings and tail brown, the external rectrices tipped with white ; a distinct superciliary stripe ; chin and a patch below the eye white ; breast and flanks orange buff ; rest of under parts white ; axillaries and under wing-coverts grey ; bill brown; the lower mandible pale yellowish; iris brown. Culmen 0'8, wing 4'92, tail 3*7, tarsus 1-25 inch. The female is duller, has the head and neck brown, the eye-streak buffy white and the chin, throat, and sides of the neck dull white. The young has the head and upper parts olivaceous, spotted with ochreous, the feathers with dark tips ; under parts white, throat and breast spotted with dark brown ; flanks dull orange ; superciliary streak indistinct. Hah Siberia from the Yenesei valley east to Lake Baikal and the Amoor, north to Kamchatka ; Japan, China, and Mongolia on passage, wintering in Assam, Malacca, and the islands of the Malay Archipelago ; of rare occurrence in Nepal, and Turkestan, and a rare straggler to Europe where it has occurred in Austria. Italy, Southern France, Holland, Belgium, and Germany. This species frequents woodlands, usually pine, larch, and 14 TURDUS spruce groves, and differs little from its allies in its general habits. Its song is clear and rich, but it seldom gets be- yond two or three notes. Its nest is placed on a tree at an altitude of from 15 to 20 feet ; resembles that of a Fieldfare, is strongly built and lined with fine grass and dry larch needles. The eggs 4 to 5, seldom 6, are deposited in June, and resemble small eggs of the Blackbird, but are sometimes more richly spotted and blotched with rusty-red, and in size measure about 1-06 by 0-75. 16. RED-THROATED THRUSH. TURDUS RUFICOLLIS. Turdus ruficollis, Pall. Reis. Russ. Reichs. iii. p. 694 (1776) ; Naumann, xiii. p. 316, Taf. 360 ; Gould, B. of Asia, iii. pi. 66 ; Dresser, ii. p. 67, pi. 8 ; Tacz. F. 0. Sib. 0. p. 300 ; David and Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 156 ; (Seebohm), Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 269 ; (Gates) F. Brit. Ind. Birds, ii, p. 130. £ ad. (E. Siberia). Upper parts greyish olive brown, superciliary stripe, chin, and throat rich chestnut red ; under parts white ; outer tail feathers fox red ; flanks washed with grey ; under wing-coverts and axil- laries orange red ; beak horn-brown^ paler at the base ; legs light brown ; iris brown. Culmen 0*8, wing 5*3, tail 4*1, tarsus 1'35 inch. The female differs in having the throat rufous buff, marked with grey and rufous, the super- ciliary stripe bufFy white, and the lower throat marked with brown. The young bird has the upper parts marked with buffy white, and the throat and upper breast buff, spotted with brown, the abdomen spotted with brown, and the tail narrowly tipped with dull white. Hob. Eastern Siberia and central Asia, wintering in Turkestan, Afghanistan, the Himalayas. Mongolia, and China ; has strayed to Europe, having been obtained in Heligoland and Germany. Like its allies this Thrush frequents wooded localities and is said to be shy and unobtrusive in its habits. It probably breeds in Eastern Siberia, but its nest and eggs are as yet unknown. 17. BLACK-THROATED THRUSH. TURDUS ATRIGULARIS. Turdus atrigularis, Temm. Man. d'Orn. i. p. 169 (1820) ; Gould, B. of E. ii. pi. 75 ; id. B. of Gt. Brit. ii. pi. 36 ; Dresser, ii, p. 83, pi. ii. ; (Seebohm) Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. 267 ; Tacz. F. O. Sib. 0. p. 305 ; (Gates) F. Brit. Ind. Birds, ii. p. 131 ; Newton, i. p. 276 ; Saunders, p. 9 ; Lilford, iii. p. 88, pi. 44 ; Dresser, Ibis, 1901, p. 446, pi. ix. figs. 9-12 (eggs) ; T. bechsteini, Naumann, ii. p. 310, Taf. 69, figs. 1, 2, 361, figs. 1, 2. TURDUS 15 £ ad. (Turkestan). Upper parts greyish brown, the wings and tail dull brown ; chin, throat, and upper breast black ; under parts white, the flanks streaked with blackish, the under wing-coverts and axillaries tinged with reddish orange ; bill yellow at the base, blackish at the tip ; legs light yellowish brown ; iris dark brown. Culmen 0'85, wing 5 '25, tail 4*0, tarsus 1*3 inch. In the female the throat and breast are dull white, striped and marked with black. The young bird resembles the female, but the throat and breast are rather more boldly marked with blackish. Hob. Asia north to the Ob and northern Yenesei, south to the Altai and Turkestan, east to Lake Baikal; in winter migrating south to Assam, northern India, Baluchistan, and Afghanistan; has occurred in Europe as a rare straggler in the Caucasus. Hungary, Austria, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, France, and once in Great Britain. In its general habits this Thrush resembles T. ruficollis, and like that bird frequents wooded districts, but usually near water. It feeds on insects, and berries, worms, etc. It has been found breeding in the Altai range, and at Im- batskaya on the Yenesei river, and places its nest, which is constructed of dry grass with a lining of mud, and an inner lining of broad dry grass, on small fir-trees at an altitude of 3 to 6 feet, and in June deposits 4 to 6 eggs, which vary con- siderably, some resembling the ordinary type of the Blackbird, whereas others more resemble those of the Mistle Thrush, but have the ground colour of a deeper blue. In length they vary from 1-08 to 115, and in width from 077 to O84. 18. PALE THRUSH. TURDUS PALLIDUS. Turdus pallidus, Gmel. Syst. Nat. i. p. 32 (1788) ; Gould B. of E. ii. pi. 80 ; David and Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 151 ; Tacz. F. 0. Sib. 0. p. 309 ; (Seebohm) Cat. B. Br. Hus. p. 274 ; T. daulias, Temm. PI. Col. No. 515 (1831) ; id. and Schleg. Faun. Jap. Aves. p. 62, pi. 26. Shiropara, Jap. (J ad. (Japan). Upper parts warm russet brown, crown olivaceous ; outer tail feathers with a large white terminal patch ; no superciliary stripe ; lores very dark ; sides of head, throat, breast, and flanks slaty grey, the last tinged with brown ; middle of throat marked with white ; middle of abdomen and under tail -co verts white ; axillaries greyish white ; beak brown ; the lower mandible yellowish white ; legs pale brown ; iris brown. Culmen TO, wing 4'9, tail 3'6, tarsus 1*2 inch. In the female the 16 TURDUS whole middle of the throat is white, and the sides of head and throat paler and brownish-tinged. The young bird is duller in colour, and the wing-coverts are white spotted. Hob. Eastern Siberia and Japan ; Mongolia, Manchuria, and Corea on passage, and winters in China ; has occurred as far west as Assam. In habits this Thrush resembles its allies and frequents wooded localities. It is, however, said to be very shy and wary. Its song which is generally uttered from some tree-top is said to be sweet in tone. It has been found breeding near the mouth of the Ussuri river in E Siberia ; its nest which is placed on the branches of a tree is constructed of dry roots of Vaccinium, dry herbs, grass, moss, and pine-needles, and lined with fine grass-bents. The eggs 4 to 5 in number are usually deposited in June, and are pale bluish green rather finely spotted with reddish brown and vary from 29.2 by 19. 5 to 32 by 20 mm. (1.15 by 077 to 1.26 by 079 inch.) 19. WHITE'S THRUSH. TURDUS VARIUS. Turdus ran*M*,Pall. Zoogr. Eoss. As. i. p. 449 (1811); (nee. Horsfield 1811); Dresser, ii. p. 77, pi. 10 ; Newton i. p. 251 ; (David and Oust.) Oi?. Chine p. 158 ; (Seebohm) Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 151 ; Tacz. F. 0 Sib. 0. p. 280 ; Saunders,p. 11 ; Lilford, iii.p. 78, pi. 39 ; T. tvhitei, Eyton Ear. Brit. B. p. 92 (1836) ; Gould, B. of E. ii. p. 81 ; Naumann, xiii. p. 354 ; Newton P. Z. S. 1897, pi. Ii. fig. 5 (egg). Oreocincla aurea (Hoi.), Gould, B. of Gt. Brit. ii. pi. 39. Mame-jiro, Jap. $ ad. (Japan). Upper parts ochreous brown, under parts pale ochreotis white, both above and below, marked with black, transverse bands ; axil- laries white on the basal, and black on the terminal half ; tail composed of fourteen feathers ; upper mandible dark brown, the lower one pale yellowish tipped with brown ; legs dull yellowish brown ; iris dark brown. Culmen I'O, wing 6*5, tail 4*75, tarsus 1*35 inch. Female similar, but rather paler. Hal. Eastern Siberia, Japan, and northern China, in winter migrating to southern China ; has strayed as far west as Europe where it has been obtained in Austria, the Tyrol, Italy, southern France, Germany, Belgium, Heligoland, (where it has been obtained at least thirteen times), Sweden (once), Norway (once), Great Britain and Ireland. TURDUS 17 White's Thrush is said to obtain its food on the ground, and feeds exclusively on insects when such are obtainable. Its note is loud and sibilous, and, according to Godlewski, it utters, when perched on a branch, at long intervals, a melancholy whistle, very difficult to describe. Swinhoe de- scribes it as being shy and solitary in its habits, and its flight as low and undulating. It breeds in Eastern Siberia, northern China, and Japan, but fully authenticated eggs have as yet not been obtained, though eggs said to be those of this species, all differing from each other, have been sent from three sources. So far as I can judge, that figured by Prof. Newton (ut supra) received through Canon Tristram from Prof. Ijima of Tokio, is most probably authentic. 20. BLACKBIRD. TURDUS MERULA, Turdus merula, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 295 (1766) ; Naumann, ii. p. 326r Taf. 71 ; Hewitson, i. p. 91, pi. xxv. figs. 1, 2 ; Newton, i. p. 280 ; Dresser, ii. p. 91, pi. 13 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 235 ; Saunders, p. 13 ; Lilford, iii. p. 92, pi. 46. Merula maxima, See- bohm, torn. cit. p. 405 (1881). Merle noir, French ; Merol-preto, Portug. ; Mirlo, Span. ; Merlo comune, Ital. ; Schwarz-Drossel, German ; Zwarte Lijster, Dutch ; Sort-Drossel, Dan. ; Solsort, Norweg. ; Koltrast, Swed. ; Musto- rastas, Finn. ; Tscherny-Drozd, Russ. (Linn.) Syst. Nat. i. p. 332 (1766) ; Naumann, iii. p. 884, Taf. 90, figs. 3, 4, 5 ; Hewitson, i. p. 107, pi. xxx. fig. 1 ; Newton, i. p. 339) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. iv. p. 185 ; Dresser, ii. p. 263, pis. 39, 40 ; Saunder?, p. 29 ; Lilford, iii. p. 18. pi. 9. Tarier rnlicole, French ; Chasco, Portug. ; Tarabillat Span. ; Saltimpalo, Ital. ; SchiuarzJcehlif/er-Steinschmatzer, German ; Rood- borst-Tapuit, Dutch ; Sortstrubet-Digesmutte, Dan. ; SvartJiaJcad- Buskskvcitta, Swed. ; Tschekkan tsclic,rnoclivostyiy Russ. £ ad. (England). Head, throat, nape and back black ; tail-coverts white, spotted with blackish brown ; wing and tail dark brown, a con- spicuous white patch on the former ; sides of neck white ; under parts light rufous, darker on the breast, lighter on the abdomen ; bill and legs black ; iris brown. Culmen 0'55, wing 2 -55, tail 2*0, tarsus 0'85 inch. The female has the throat merely mottled with black, the upper parts Wackish brown, striped with reddish brown ; sides of neck rufous white ; 46 PRATINCOLA alar patch small, and the under parts more yellowish. The young bird is blackish brown above, striated with dull ochreous, upper tail-coverts rufous ; wings and tail feathers margined with rufous buff ; under parts ochreous indistinctly striped. Hob. Europe from southern Sweden, where it is a mere straggler, down to the Mediterranean, and east to the valley of the Volga. In winter, Africa as far south as Senegal. Frequents the same localities as the Whinchat, but as a rule seldom damp places, and its food is the same as that species'. Its call note is a sharp tak, tak, and its song though short is agreeable. Its nest which is constructed of dry grass and moss, lined with hair, feathers, and occasionally wool, is placed on the ground, usually under a bush, and well concealed. The eggs 4 to 6 in number are pale greenish blue spotted, chiefly at the larger end, with reddish brown, and are usually deposited in April or May. Two broods are usually raised in the season. 70. IXDIAX STOXECHAT. PRATINCOLA MAURA. Pralincola maura (Pall.) Eeis. Russ. Reichs. ii. p. 708, (1773) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. iv. p. 188 ; Gates, F. Brit. Ind. Birds, ii. p. 61 ; P. indica, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xvi. p. 129 ; Gould B. of Asia. iv. pi. 34. £ ad. Differs from P. rubicola in having the tail-coverts pure white unspotted, the under wing-coverts and axillaries much blacker and in being somewhat smaller in size. Culmen 0*52, wing 2'65, tail T97, tarsus 0'8 inch. Hob. The extreme east of Europe ; and Asia as far east as Japan, north to the Yenesei valley, wintering throughout the Indian peninsula south to Mysore. In general habits and nidification it does not differ from P. rubicola. 71. SUBSP. PRATIXCOLA PRJEVALSKII. Pratincola prjevalsldi^ Pleske, Prjevalsky's Reisen, Vogel, p. 47, Taf. iv. fig. 1, 2, 3, (1889) ; P. robusta, Tristr. Ibis, 1870, p. 497, (partim). } Portug. ; Petirqfo, Span. ; Pettirosso, Ital. ; JRothkehlcJien, German ; Roodborstje, Dutch ; Rodkjaelk, Dan. ; Rodstrulesanger, Norweg. ; Eodhake- sdngaren, Swed. ; Kultarintakerttu, Finn. ; Malinovka, Russ. £ ad. (England). Upper parts olivaceous brown ; wings and tail dark brown margined with olive ; chin, throat, breast, and forehead rich orange red bordered with slate-blue j rest of the under parts white, the flanks and vent washed with olive brown ; bill blackish brown, lighter at the base ; legs brown ; iris dark brown. Culmen 0'55, wing 2'9, tail 2*5, tarsus TO inch. The female differs from the male only in being somewhat duller in tinge, but the young are sandy brown above, spotted with dark brown and dirty white below, marked with dark brown and washed with yellowish brown on the breast and flanks. Hctb. Europe from the Azores and Canaries to Asia Minor, Turkestan, and Persia, and from the Arctic circle to North Africa, being resident in most of its range. Tame and familiar to a degree the Redbreast is one of our best known species. 64 ERITHACUS It frequents groves, gardens, and is especially fond of the vicinity of man. Its sweet song may be heard not only during the breeding season but also after the autumn moult, through- out the winter during fine weather. It places its nest in a bank, amongst ivy, in holes of trees, on a shelf in an outhouse, or in an inhabited house, in an old shoe or an old pot, or in almost any odd place ; and deposits from March to May 5 to 8 eggs pale reddish white, spotted and blotched with red, some- times nearly pure white, measuring O76 by 0*60. Individuals vary greatly in intensity of colour, and examples having the red breast very dark, from Teneriffe, have been separated specifically (Erithacus superbus Koenig), but in my opinion without sufficient reason, as I have examined central European examples as richly coloured. • 96. PERSIAN REDBREAST. ERITHACUS HYRCANUS. Erithacus Tiyrcanus, Blanf. Ibis., p. 79 (1874) ; id. E. Pers. ii. p. 160, pi. xv. fig. 2 ; Dresser, B. of E. ix. p. 47, pi. 644 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. V. p. 301. $ ad. (Persia). Resembles E. rubecula, but the red on the breast and throat is deeper in colour and the upper tail-coverts are chestnut-brown or dull ferruginous and not olivaceous. Culmen 0'65, wing 3*8, tail 2 '35, tarsus 0'5 inch. The female does not appreciably differ from the male, and individual specimens vary considerably in the tone of colour of the throat and upper breast. Hob. The Caucasus eastward to Persia, and appears to breed throughout that area. In the winter it passes south, but we do not yet know where its winter quarters are. In habits, song, and nidification, it does not differ from its western congener, and its eggs are not separable from those of that species. 97, TEMMINCK'S KEDBREAST. ERITHACUS KOMADORI. Erithacus komadori (Teinm.), PI. Col. No. 570 (1824) ; (Temm. and Schlegel), Faun. Jap. Aves. p. 55, pi. xxi. C ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 298. Aka-hige, Jap. $ ad. Upper parts orange chestnut ; lores, cheeks, throat, chin, breast and flanks margined with white ; rest of the under parts white ; under wing-coverts black margined with white ; axillaries white CALLIOPE 65 with dark centres ; bill and legs brown. Culmen 0'68, wing 2'9, tail i'9, tarsus 1'02 inch. The female is less brilliant in colour, and the black portions of the plumage are replaced by creamy white margined with slate- grey ; centre of abdomen and under tail-coverts white ; forehead russet brown. Originally described from cage birds obtained in Japan, this Redbreast is supposed to have been brought thither from Corea but no collectors have obtained it there. It has, however, been obtained on Yaye-yama island in the southern group of the Loo-choo group, where it is probably indigenous. Nothing is as yet known of its general habits or nidincation, and I have not been able to examine a specimen. 98. JAPANESE REDBREAST. ERITHACUS AKAHIGE. Erithacus akahige (Temm.) PI. Col. No. 571 (1824) ; (Temm. and Schlegel), Faun. Jap. Aves. p. 55, pi. xxi. B ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br Mus. v. p. 299 ; David and Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 230. Komadori, Jap. (£ ad. (Japan). Upper parts russet brown ; upper tail-coverts and tail orange chestnut ; forehead, throat, breast and sides of the head and neck orange chestnut ; lower breast and under parts slate-grey, brownish on the flanks and nearly Avhite on the centre of the abdomen ; wings, axiliaries, and under tail-coverts brown, the quills externally margined with russet. Culmen 0*6, wing 3'0, tail 2'1, tarsus 1'15 inch. The female has the chestnut paler and duller, and the slate-grey is replaced by brown. Hob. Japan and north-eastern China. It breeds in the mountains at considerable altitudes, and winters on the plains. It is said not to have occurred in Yesso in a wild state, but is common in southern Japan and breeds on the Seven Islands. I do not find any record of its breeding habits, nor description of its nest or eggs. CALLIOPE, Gould, 1837. 99. SIBERIAN RUBY-THROAT. CALLIOPE CAMTSCHATKENSIS. Call-Cope ccnntschathensis, (Gmel.) Syst. Nat. i. p. 817 (1788) ; Dresser, B. of E. ii. p. 341, pi. 52 ; Gould, B. of E. pi. 114 ; id. B. of Asia, iv. pi. 38 ; Taczanowski, J. f. O. 1873, Taf. i. (egg) ; Erithacus calliope, (Pall.) ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 305 ; Tacz. F. 0. Sib. 0. p. 335 ; Gates, F. Brit. Ind. Birds, ii. p. 102. F OF THE UNIVERSITY 66 CALLIOPE Gunpigora, Beng. ; Gangula, Nep. $ ad. (Ural). Upper parts wood-brown tinged with olive, the head darker, a line from the forehead over the eye and a moustachial stripe white ; lores and space below the eye black ; throat and fore-neck bright scarlet and bordered with deep slate-grey ; upper breast brownish grey ; lower breast and flanks buffy grey, rest of the under parts white ; bill brown, whitish at the base ; legs plumbeous brown ; iris brown. Culmen 0'55, Aving 3*0, tail 2'6, tarsus 1*1 inch. The female lacks the red throat, this part being dull white, the superciliary line is buffy white and the moustachial line is absent ; rest of the under parts dull light brown, but the centre of the abdomen is white. The young bird is mottled. Hob. Asia, north to the Arctic Circle, east to Japan, south to Mongolia and northern China, wintering in southern China, Burma, India, and the Philippines ; has occurred in the Ural district and the Caucasus, and has strayed as far west in Europe as France, and possibly to England (cf. Ibis, 1901, p. 158). It inhabits wooded* localities near water, both on the plains and in the hills to the limit of tree growth, and is shy and wary in its habits, creeping amongst the dense willow thickets, and seldom venturing into the open when disturbed. Its song is soft and sweet, but somewhat unvaried. It feeds on insects which it obtains chiefly on the ground and constantly erects its tail when hopping about. Its nest is placed on the ground at the foot of a bush or amongst dense herbage, and is constructed of dried grasses and lined with fine bents. Its eggs, 4 or 5 in number, are deposited late in June or early in July, and are greenish blue sparingly marked, chiefly at the larger end, with pale red spots. In size they measure from 18 -8 by 15 "3 to 21-4 by 16 millimeters (from 0'74 by 0'60 to 0'84 by 0'63 inch). 100. TIBETAN RUBY-THROAT. CALLIOPE TSCHEBAIEVI. Calliope tschebaievi, Prejv. Mungol i Strana Tangut, ii. p. 44, tab. ix. fig. 1 (1876) ; Gould, B. of Asia, iv. pi. 40 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 308 ; Gates, F. Brit. Ind. Birds, ii. p. 103 ; Pleske, Prjevalsky's Reisen, Vogel, ii. p. 73, Taf. i. fig. 3, 4. Taf. v. fig. 9 (egg). (£ atL (Sikhim). Resembles C. pectomtis but has the upper parts olive-brown tinged with russet, and the cheeks white not black. The female and young of the two species are undistinguisliable. Culmen 0'6, wing 3*0, tail 2*3, tarsus 1/2 inch. CALLIOPE 67 Hob. Tibet, Kan-su, Sikhim and Assam, extending to the Khasi Hills where it is common at Shillong, and has been obtained at Mymensing and Bhamo. Inhabits the sub-alpine bush region and in Kansu is rarer than 0. camtschatkensis. It has been found breeding there, the nest being placed on the ground under a Spiraea bush, and was round, with a hole in the side, and constructed of dried grasses. The eggs, 4 in number, were bluish green with very faint rust-red spots, and measured 20*5 by 15 '5 millimetres (0-81 by 0-61 inch). 101. HIMALAYAN RUBY-THROAT. CALLIOPE PECTORALIS. Calliope ptctoralis, Gould, Icon. Av. part i. pi. iv. (1837) ; id., B. of Asia ; iv. pi. 39 ; (Seebohm), Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 306 ; Gates, F. Brit. Ind. Birds, ii. p. 103 ; C. bailloni, Severtz. Turk. Jevot, pp. 65, 122 (1873). £ ad. (Himalayas). Upper parts dark slate tinged with olive ; th6 crown blacker, forehead and supercilium white ; middle of chin and throat bright crimson ; sides of chin and throat, and entire breast black, rest of under parts white ; central tail-feathers black, the rest white on the basal half, then black tipped with white ; bill blackish brown ; legs brown ; iris livid. Culmen 0'6, wing 3*0, tail 2'4, tarsus 1*2 inch. The female has the upper parts earthy brown, the forehead and supercilium dull white ; chin and middle of throat white ; abdomen pale fulvous, and the dark portions of the tail brown not black. The nestling has the upper parts fulvous brown streaked with fulvous ; underparts marked with dark brown, the tail feathers tipped with fulvous, but the male has the base of the tail white. In the autumn the adult male has the feathers margined with ashy. Hob. Turkestan and the higher portions of the Himalayas from Gilgit to Sikhim and Bhutan, wintering at lower altitudes and on the plains at the foot of the hills. It breeds in Kashmir and Sikhim at an altitude of 10,000 feet and upwards, but there is no recorded instance of its nest having been taken and properly identified. A nest said to belong to it was taken in Sikhim, but the eggs were pale salmon buff, which makes it doubtful that they belonged to this species. F 2 68 COSSYPHA COSSYPHA, Gueriri, 1843. 102. WHITE-THROATED CHAT. COSSYPHA GUTTURALIS. CossypJiaguttiiralisGiierin. Rev. Zool. p. 162 (1843) ; Guer. and Lafresn. in Ferr. et Galin. Voy. en Abyss, iii. p. 201, pi. v. (1847) ; Dresser, B. of E. ii. p. 347, pis. 53, 54 ; (Seebohm), Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 304 ; Irania filoti, Defilippe. Arcli. Zool. Modena, ii. p. 381 (1863) , Saxicola albig'.daris, Pelz. Sitz. Ak., "Wiss. Wien. xlviii. p. 150 (1863). £ ad. (Asia Minor). Upper parts lead-grey, wings blackish, tail black ; lores, scapulars, and sides of throat glossy black ; superciliary stripe and a narrow line from the chin widening till it reaches the breast pure white ; breast and nnderparts yellowish rufous ; centre of abdomen white washed with pale rufous ; under wing-coverts rufous, thighs lead-grey tinged with rufous ; bill and legs black ; iris brown. Culmen 0'65, wing 3'75' tail 3'0, tarsus T05 inch. The female has the upper parts and wings brownish grey, tail black, sides of head, neck and upper breast brownish grey ; a dull white spot on the throat ; lower breast and under parts otherwise dull white ; flanks and breast washed with rufous. The young male has the rufous on the under parts replaced by buff. The nestling is greyish brown marked with sandy brown spots and streaks, the lower breast and abdomen dull white. Hob. Asia Minor, Palestine, Western Turkestan, and Persia wintering in Africa south of Abyssinia. In its habits it has much affinity with Aedon galactodcs and frequents rough, rocky, and bush- or tree-covered localities, and when it settles on a bush or stone has a habit of jerking its tail. It is very shy and difficult of approach, for it creeps about amongst the rocks and bushes with great ease. Its song is clear and bell-like, and would rival that of the Nightingale if it were more prolonged. Its nest is placed low down on a low tree or bush, and in size, materials and position, resembles that of Aedon galadodes, being constructed of dry twigs and strips of bark, the upper part of fine grasses mixed with plant cotton and down with woollen threads and rags interwoven. The eggs, 4 or 5 in number, are deposited in May, and are pale greenish blue, marked all over, but more profusely at the larger end, with small rusty yellow dots and spots, and in size measure about 22-5 by 16*0 millimetres (0'88 by 0'63 inch). XEMURA 69 NEMURA, Hodgs. 1845. 103. REDFLANKED BLUETAIL NEMURA CYANURA. Nemura cyaimra (Pall.), Reis. Russ. Reichs. ii. A pp. p. 709 (1773) ; "(Midd.) Sib. Reis. ii. p. 177, tab. 15, fig. 5, (pull) ; Dresser, ii. p. 355, pi. 55 ; (Sharpe), Cat. B. Br. Mus. iv. p. 255 ; Tacz. F.O. Sib. 0. p. 343. $ ad. (E. Siberia). Upper parts and sides of bead greyish blue washed with cobalt on the rump and upper tail-coverts ; quills brown externally margined with blue ; a shoulder patch cobalt ; tail blue ; a broad eye-stripe white narrowly edged above with blue ; feathers in front of the eye blackish - under parts creamy white, flanks bright orange ; bill black ; legs reddish brown ; iris brown. Culmen 0'45, wing 3'15, tail 2'5, tarsus 0'9 inch. The female is olivaceous brown above washed with blue on the shoulders and rump ; tail blackish grey margined with blue ; sides of head and neck brown marked with buff ; forehead and eye-streak buff ; under parts dull white, the throat tinged with buff, the breast with brownish grey, and the flanks are orange-rufous. The male often breeds in immature plumage, in which it differs but little from the female. The young are spotted like those of the Redbreast. Hab. The Perm Government, west of the Ural to Eastern Siberia, China, and Japan, as far north as the Yenesei and Udskoi- Ostrog and as far south as Mongolia, wintering probably in south China. In its habits it is said to be as tame and confiding as a Red- breast, to which it bears some resemblance, but has no affinity at all with the Flycatchers with which it has been united. It frequents woods, groves, and gardens, as well as bush-covered plains, and is also found in the mountains. Its call-note i& short and sharp, resembling the syllables keke, keke. The nest is placed on the ground amongst the stones well concealed amongst the herbage, but I do not find any description of its eggs. Young birds fully fledged were obtained at Udskoi- Ostrog on the 15th July. 104. SUBSP. NEMURA RUFILATA. Nemura rujilata (Hodgs.) P.Z.S. p. 27 (1845) ; N. cyanura, (nee. Pall.) ; Dresser, ii. p. 355, pi. 55 (£ ad. desc. and fig.); (Seebohm), Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 256 ; (Gates), F. Brit. Ind. Birds, ii. p. 106. <£ ad. (Sikhim). Upper parts and sides of neck and head deep Prussian blue washed with bright ultramarine on the shoulders and rump ; 70 LARYIYORA tail deep Prussian blue ; lores blackish ; a broad streak over the eye, rich ultramarine ; under parts white ; flanks orange rufous ; bill and legs black ; iris brown. Culmen 0'5, wing 3'4, tail 2 '8, tarsus 0'88 inch. The female resembles that of N. cyanura but has the rump greenish blue, the sides of head and neck and flanks ochreous and a patch of orange chestnut on each side of the body. Hob. Himalayas from Gilgit and Kashmir to Sikkim; the Khasi Hills : Tipperah ; Manipur, ranging into Mongolia. In the summer it is found up to 11,000 feet, wintering at lower levels. In habits it does not differ from N. cyanura, of which indeed it is but a richly coloured southern form. It breeds in May and June, placing its nest, which is constructed of moss and grass, in holes in banks and under tree- roots, and in June depositing' 4 eggs, which vary from uniform white to white distinctly spotted with pale reddish brown, and measure about 0'7l by 0'56 LARVIVORA, Hodgs. 1837. 105. SIBERIAN BLUECHAT. LARVIVORA CYANE. Larvivora ci/ane (Pall.) Beis. Buss. Beichs. iii. p. 697 (1776) ; - (Badde) Beis. Siber. Vogel, p. 250, pi. 10, figs. 1-4 ; (Seebohm), Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 303 ; Tacz. F. 0. Sib. 0. p. 338. Sr. cinerea and its eggs, usually 5 in number, are deposited in May, are dull white finely marked with greenish grey, and measure about 0'67 by 0'53. 76 SYLVIA 112. LESSER WHITETHROAT. SYLVIA CURRUCA. Sylvia curruca (Linn.), Syst. Nat. i. p, 329 (1766) ; Hewitson, i. p. 132, pi. xxxv. fig. 4 ; Naumann, ii. p. 451, Taf. 77, fig. 1 ; Gould, B. of Gt. Brit. ii. pi. 58 ; Newton, i. p. 410 ; Dresser, ii. p. 383, pi. 58 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 17 ; Tacz. F. 0. Sib. 0. p. 277 ; Sannders, p. 43 ; Lilford, iii. p. 52, pi. 26 ; S. . Europe generally from the Mediterranean north to Trondhjem in Norway and from western Europe at least to the Ural : common in Great Britain up to Stirlingshire above which it is rare ; winters in Africa as far south as Nubia and Abyssinia. It affects woodlands, groves, and gardens, but not the true forest, and prefers bush-growth, hedges, &c., to trees. Lively and active, it is by no means shy when unmolested. Its call-note is harsh and its song consists of a number of hasty twittering and flute-like notes, with a frequent repetition of the syllables sip, sip, sip, and, though pleasing, lacks variety. It feeds chiefly on insects of various kinds and their larvse, but also to some extent on fruit and berries. It breeds in May or June, placing its nest on a bush not very high above the ground, this latter being slightly though firmly constructed of SYLVIA 77 dried bents lined with fine bents, rootlets, and horsehair. The eggs, usually 4 or 5 in number, are white, boldly but sparingly blotched with dull light brown and purplish grey shell- markings, and darker brown surface-spots which are larger and more profuse at the larger end, and in size average about 0*65 by 0-51. 113. SIBERIAN WHITETHROAT. SYLVIA AFFINIS. Sylvia affinis Blyth, Cat. B. B. Mus. As. Soc. p. 187 (1849) ; Dresser, ix. p. 53 ; Seebohm, Cat, B. Br. Mus. v. p. 19 ; Gates, F. Brit. Ind. Birds, ii. p. 397. Kesembles fl. curruca, but has the second primary intermediate between the sixth and seventh and the upper parts are browner. Culmen 0'5, wing 2'55, tail 2'4, tarsus 0*85 inch. Hob. Western Siberia, north almost to the limit of the forest growth, Turkestan, Persia, and Northern China, wintering in Baluchistan, India, and Ceylon. In habits and nidification it does not differ from S. curruca, and its eggs closely resemble those of that species. It differs, in fact, but little from S. curruca and is rather a questionable species, as the wing formula is frequently somewhat variable. 114. LEAST WHITETHROAT. SYLVIA MINUSCULA. Sylvia minuscula Hume, Stray Feathers, viii. p. 103 (1879) ; Pleske, Orn. Ross. p. 102, pi. i. figs. 5, 6, 7 ; Dresser, ix. p. 53, pi. 646, fig. 1 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. f>. 20, pi. 1 ; Gates, F. Brit. Ind. Birds, ii. p. 398. Tint-Kornu, Tvmtu in Yarkand. Ad. Crown bluish grey ; back sandy brown, much paler than in S. curruca ; second primary intermediate between the seventh and eighth, or equal to the seventh. Culmen 0'5, wing 2'4, tail 2*15, tarsus 0'8 inch. Hob. Asia from the Caspian through Afghanistan, Turkestan, and Kashmir to Mongolia, wintering in Baluchistan, Sind, and northern India as far east as Jodhpore. In habits and nidification it closely resembles S. curruca, but its eggs are somewhat smaller than those of that species. 78 SYLVIA 115. GARDEN- WARBLER. SYLVIA HORTENSIS. Sylvia hortensis Bechst., Gemeinn. Naturg. Deutschl. iv. p. 550 (1795) ; Hewitson, i. p. 128, pi. xxxiv. figs. 3, 4 ; Naumann, ii. p. 478, Taf. 78, fig. 3. Gould, B. of Eur. ii. pi. 121 ; id., B. of Gt. Brit. ii. pi. 62 ; Saunders, p. 49 ; Lilford, iii. p. 54, pi. 27 ; & salicaria (Linn.) apud Newton, i. p. 414 ; Dresser, ii. p. 429, pi. 53. Fauvette des Jardins, French ; Andahuertas, Span. ; Beccafico, Ital. ; Garten-Grasmucke, German ; Tuinfluiter, Dutch ; Haves- mutte, Dan. ; Havesanger, Norweg. ; Tradgdrdssdngaren, Swed. ; LMoherttu, Finn. ; Ssmorodinka, Russ. • £ ad. (Norway). Upper parts hair-brown, the wings and tail rather darker ; chin, throat and under parts white, the throat, breast, and flanks washed with buff or buffy brown ; under wing-coverts pale buff, bill lead brown, lower mandible reddish white at base ; legs plumbeous ; iris brown. Culmen, 0'45, wing 3'12, tail 2'32, tarsus 0'8 inch. First quill longer than the third, the second longest. The female does not differ perceptibly from the male except in being a trifle paler, and the young are darker above with a greenish tinge and the under parts are washed with yellowish. Hob. Europe, north to the Porsanger fiord in Norway, south to the Mediterranean, and Asia as far east as the valley of the Yenesei ; wintering in Africa, as far south as Damaraland and Cape Colony. Frequents gardens and groves, especially where there is good cover, and is shy and secretive in its habits. Its song is sweet, though wild and irregular, and its call note is a deep harsh tack, tack, tack. It feeds on insects and also on fruit and berries. Its nest is usually placed in a bush or a bramble vine and is lightly constructed of grass-bents and rootlets, inter- mixed with a little wool and moss, and lined with fine roots and sometimes a little hair. The eggs, 4 or 5 in number, are deposited in May or June and are pale French white with lilac- grey shell-markings and clouded and marbled with olivaceous brown, sometimes also spotted and speckled with dark brown. In size they vary from 0'6 by 0'53 to 0*87 by 0'6. Only one brood is raised in the season. SYLVIA 79 116. DESERT WARBLER. SYLVIA NANA. Sylvia nana (Hempr. and Ehr.), Symb. Phys. Aves fol. c.c. (1829); Gould, B. of Asia, iv. pi. 50 ; Dresser, ix. p. 63, pi. 648 ; Seebohm, Cat, B. Br. M. p. 26 ; Gates, F. Brit. Ind. Birds, ii. p. 396 ; & aralensis, Eversm. Bull. Soc. Nat. Mosc. xxiii. pt. 2, p. 565, pi. viii. fig. 1 ; Prjev. Mongol, i. Strana Tangnt., tab. xx. fig. 5, (egg)i. ; £ deserti, Loche, Rev. and Mag. Zool. 1858. p. 394, pi. xi. fig.' 1 ; S. delicatula, Hartl., Ibis, 1859, p. 340, pi. x. fig. 1 ; S. dorm, Defilippi Viagg. Pers. p. 248 ; S. chrysophthalmus, Hengl. Orn. N. 0. Afr. i. p. 306. Bajalysclinitscluk, Russ. $ ad. (Transcaspia). Upper parts greyish isabelline, the lower rump and upper tail coverts washed with rufous ; quills margined with rufous buff ; median rectrices rufous buff, outer rectrix white, remainder dark brown margined with rufous buff ; under parts white, flanks washed with buff ; bill pale horn ; legs brownish isabelline ; iris pale yellow. Culmen. 0'4, wing 2'5, tail T95, tarsus 0'75 inch. The female resembles the male. In the autumn the upper parts are more rufous in tinge, and the young are more rufous than the adult. Hob. Northern Africa as far west as Algeria ; Arabia, Persia, Transcaspia, Turkestan, N.W. India, east to Alaschan in China; a straggler to European Russia, and has been once recorded from Italy. Frequents sandy sterile localities, where there are bushes, and feeds almost entirely on small insects which it picks up from the ground. It is shy and restless and is said to some- what resemble Drymosca in its general habits. Its song is rich and pleasant, and is somewhat like that of the Whitethroat. Its nest resembles that of the Reed- Warbler, is elongate, purse- shaped, open, constructed of grass-bents and blades and leaves, and carefully lined with wool, and the eggs are greenish white spotted and marked with olive-green surface spots, and pale lilac underlying shell-markings, the markings being more numerous at the larger end. In size they measure 1*4 by 1/1 cm. Algerian examples are as a rule more rufous in tone of colour than those from Asia, and Dr. Koenig considers the Algerian bird to be specifically separable, a view with which however I do not agree. 80 SYLVIA 117. SPECTACLED WARBLER. SYLVIA CONSPICILLATA. Sylvia conspicillata, Marm. fide Temm. Man. d'Orn. i. p. 210 (1820) ; Temm. Pt. Col. 6, fig. 1 ; Dresser, ii. p. 393, pi. 60 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 22 ; S. passerina, (Gmel.) fide Temm. Man. rVOrn., i. p. 213. Babillard a lunettes, French ; Friolcncos, Span. ; Sterpazzola- sarda, Ital. £ ad. (Sicily). Crown and sides of head to below the eye slate-grey ; lores and a narrow frontal line blackish ; back brownish ash washed with grey on the rump and upper tail-coverts ; tail dark brown ; the outer feather white with a brown shaft, the next two tipped with white ; wing feathers margined with rufous ; chin, sides of -throat, and centre of abdomen white, throat otherwise ashy blue ; lower breast flanks and under tail- coverts rosy rufous ; bill dark horn, yellowish at the base ; legs yellowish brown ; iris brown, edge of eyelids red. Culmen 0'4, wing 2*25, tail 2'1, tarsus 0*7 inch. The female is duller and paler, crown pale ash, the feathers with brown tips ; sides of head and lores darker and greyer ; under parts white, the breast and flanks washed with rosy rufous. The young resemble the female but are browner and have no grey on the head ; wings and tail with broad rnfous margins : throat white; rest of under parts pale rufous buff, becoming nearly white on the abdomen. Hab. The Mediterranean area as far east as Palestine and west to the Canaries and Cape Verd Islands. In the southern portion of its range it is a resident, but in south Europe it migrates further south in the autumn. It frequents dry localities where there is low scrub, and is shy and secretive, but otherwise resembles the Whitethroat in its habits. Its song is short and pleasing and is uttered from the top of a bush or when the bird is hovering in the air. Its nest, which is loosely but neatly constructed of grass-bents and lined with horsehair, is placed low down in a bush. The eggs, 4 or 5 in number, are pale greenish grey, minutely freckled with greenish brown, and are usually deposited in April or May. In size they average about 0'64 by 0*49. 118. MENETRIES'S WARBLER. SYLVIA MYSTACEA. Syhia mystacea, Menetr. Cat. Rais. p. 34 (1832) ; Dresser, ix. p. 59, pi. 647 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. MUP. v. p. 20, (partim) ; S. rubescens, Blanf., Ibis, 1874, p. 77. SYLVIA 81 Bjeloussyj-Kusnetschik, Russ. (£ ad. (Lenkoran). Crown, sides of the head, and ear-coverts dull black gradually merging into the. grey on the upper parts which are slate-grey ; wings and tail blackish, externally margined with slate-grey ; outer rectrix with outer web and end white, the next tipped with white ; chin and a line bordering the black on the sides of the head pure white ; throat and breast chestnut-vinous ; flanks pale reddish ; rest of the under parts white ; beak brown, lower mandible yellowish at the base ; legs brownish isabelline ; iris clear chestnut-red, the bare skin round the eye bright yellow. Culmen 0'48, wing 2-35, tail 2'1, tarsus 0'75 inch. The female has the entire upper parts plain brownish grey, the margins to the wings and tail also brownish grey, and the under parts white tinged with pale ochreous. Hal). From the Caucasus through Transcaspia to Persia, Turkestan, and northern Afghanistan, south to Fao on the Persian Gulf. It inhabits the plains and the lower portions of the mountains, and in its general habits does not differ from its allies, but if anything flits more nimbly through the dense bush foliage and when on the wing carries its tail very high. Its nest is placed in a bush near the ground and is constructed of tamarisk-twigs, bents, and vegetable down, and lined with finer bents, vegetable filaments and occasionaly a few horsehairs ; and the eggs, which are deposited in May or early in June, are brilliant white, sometimes with a rose tinge finely dotted with black, blackish grey, or dirty brown spots, the larger end so closely spotted that the spots are confluent, and in some the black spots and dots are wanting. In size they vary from 15 by 12 to 17 by 13 millimetres (0'59 by 047 to O67 by 0'51 inch). 119. SUB ALPINE WARBLER. SYLVIA SUBALPINA. Sylria subalpina, Bonelli, fide Temm. Man. d'Orn. i. p. 214 (1820) ; Temm. PI. Col. 6, fig. 2, and 251, figs. 2, 3 ; Dresser, ii. p. 389, pi. 59 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 27 ; S. hucopogon, Meyer, Taschenb. Deutsch. Vogelk., iii. p. 91 ; Gould, B. of. E. pi. 124. Babillarde subalpine, French ; Sterpazzolina, Ital ; Cagachin, Span. (3 ad. (Greece). Upper parts plumbeous ash darker on the crown , sides of the head and neck, wings and tail blackish brown, the former with lighter margins ; outer tail-feather white washed with brown at the tip, the next marked with white at the tip ; throat and upper breast rich G 82 SYLVIA ferruginous chestnut ; a white line from the base of the bill bordering the red on the throat ; rest of the under parts white, washed with pale rufous, the flanks with ashy grey ; bill dark horn, yellowish at the base of the lower mandible ; legs fleshy brown ; iris brown, the edge of the eyelids reddish. Culmen 0'5, wing 2'45, tail 2'15, tarsus 0'75 inch. The female lacks the red on the throat, has the upper parts ashy brown and the under parts buffy white, the flanks and sides of the breast washed with buffy brown. Hctb. Southern Europe and north Africa east to Palestine and probably Persia, and west to the Canaries. In general habits it resembles the Whitethroat, inhabiting the low bushes on the plains, grass covered plains, and grain fields. Its flight is low and weak, but it moves about actively amongst the bushes. Its call-note is low and harsh and its song is short and hurried but melodious. Its nest is con- structed of dry grass-bents, lined with fine roots, and a little plantcotton and is usually placed on a low bush. Its eggs 4 or 5 in number are deposited in April or May and resemble richly coloured varieties of the Dartford Warbler which have the ground colour white. 120. BOWMAN'S WARBLER. SYLVIA MOMUS. Sylvia momus, Hempr. and Ehr. Symb. Phys. Aves, fol. b. b. (1829) ; Dresser, ii. p. 407, pi. 63 ; S. bowmani, Tristr. Ibis., 1867, p. 85 ; S. rubescens, Blanf., Ibis., 1874, p. 77 ; id. in E. Pers. ii. p. 177, pi. xii. ; S. mystacea, Seebohm (nee. Menetr.), Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 20 (partim). $ ad. (Jericho). Differs from S. melanocephala in having the upper parts much paler and greyer, the black crown sharply separated from the grey on the hind neck ; under parts white washed with vinous pink on the breast and flanks ; legs brown ; bill dusky above, pale below ; iris yellow, edge of the eyelid red. Culmen 0*5, wing 2'15, tail 22 tarsus 0'75 inch. The female is much paler than that of S. melanocephala, has the upper parts dull reddish brown with an olivaceous tinge, the under parts white slightly tinged with pink, and the breast and flanks faintly washed with pale vinous buff. Hob. Palestine, Syria, and Asia Minor ; wintering in Nubia and possibly in Abyssinia. In habits it does not differ from S. melanocephala, but affects luxuriantly wooded localities whereas that species prefers the SYLVIA 83 open scrub. Its nesting-habits, nest, and eggs are, so far as I can ascertain, as yet unknown. Melizophilus rothschildi, Madarasz (Termesz Flisetek, 1901, p. 351), from Palestine, of which I have seen the type, appears to me to be very closely allied to, if separable from this species. 121. SARDINIAN WARBLER. SYLVIA MELANOCEPHALA. Sylvia melanocephala (Gmel.), Syst. Nat. 1, p. 970 (1788) ; (Gould), B. of E. ii. pi. 123 ; Dresser, ii. p. 401, pi. 62 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Brit. Mus. v. p. 29. Fawoette mdlanoce'phale, French ; Tutinegra dos vallados, Porfcug. ; Palmerilla, Span. ; Occliio rosso, Ital. (1831) ; Naumaim, xiii. p. 417, Taf. 369, fig. 4. Becfin-Bonelliy French; Lui-Uanco, ItaL, Bcrg-Laubvogcl German. £ ad. (Italy). Upper parts browner than Ph. sibilatrix, rump washed with sulphur-yellow ; superciliary streak buffy yellow ; under parts white, tinged with pale sulphur-yellow on the breast and flanks, edge of wing and axillaries bright sulphur-yellow. Culmen 0'42, wing 2*7, tail 2'0, tarsus 0'72 inch ; first primary longer than in the Wood-Wren, ri inch shorter than the second, which is a trifle longer than the sixth, the third and fourth nearly equal and longest. The female is a trifle smaller than the male. Hal. Central and Southern Europe, from Portugal to Asia Minor ; of occasional occurrence in Northern France ; winters in North Africa as far south as Senegal. In general habits it resembles the Wood- Wren, but affects elevated localities, and is often to be met with in woods on the southern slopes of hills. It inhabits the dense foliage of deciduous trees, and is strictly insectivorous, picking its food PHYLLOSCOPUS 97 chiefly from off the leaves. Its call-note is a melancholy hoied or hoiet, and its song iiiiii and wuit, wuit wuit, wuit. Its nest is placed on the ground well concealed amongst the herbage, and is constructed of dry grass-bents and a little moss, lined with finer bents, never with hair or feathers. The eggs which are deposited late in May or early in June, from 4 to 6 in number, resemble those of the Wood- Wren but are smaller, and the spots are more profuse and somewhat browner in tinge of colour. 139. CHIFFCHAFF. PHYLLOSCOPUS COLLYBITA. Phylloscopus collylita (Vieill.), Nouv. Diet. xi. p. 235 (1817) ; Newton, i. p. 437 ; Dresser, ii. p. 485, pis. 75, fig. 1, 76, fig. 1 : Phyll rvfus, (Bechst.), Orn. Taschenb. i. p. 188 (nee. Bodd.) ; (Hewitson), i. p. 139, pi. 36, fig. 4 ; (Naum.), iii. p. 581. Taf. 80, fig. 4 ; (Gould), B. of Gt. Brit. ii. pi. 66 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. v. p. 60 ; Saunders, p. 67 ; P. minor, Lilford, iii. p. 68, pi. 34. Beefin vdoce, French ; Lid-piccolo, Ital. ; Almendrita, Span.; Weiden-Laubvogd,, German; Tjif-tjaf, Dutch; G-ran-sanger Dan. and Norweg. ; Gransdngcwe, Swed. ; Tynnerilintu, Finn. ; Kusnetschik, Penotschkamalaya, Russ. (£ ad. (Asia Minor). In general colouration of plumage resembling Pli. trochilus but duller, the second primary is equal to the 7th, and the quills externally marginate to the 6th inclusive, the third and fourth quills longest ; legs dark brown much darker than in Ph. trochilus. Hob. Europe from the Canaries where it is resident, to the valley of the Volga, north to within the Arctic circle ; winters in southern Europe, Asia Minor, Persia, and North Africa, as far south as Abyssinia. In general habits it resembles the Willow- Wren but its movements are quicker and its flight rather swifter. It affects woods and groves both deciduous and conifer, and feeds on insects which it picks off the foliage and sometimes from off the ground, or will catch gnats or flies on the wing. It has been known to feed on small berries. Its alarm note resembles that of the Willow- Wren, but is slightly shriller and not so loud, and its song resembles the syllables chiff-chaff, chiffy -chaffy, or cheep-cheep cheep-cheep. Its nest is placed on the ground or but rarely a little above it, and is semi-domed, constructed of grass- bents, dry. leaves, and moss and lined with plant-cotton hair and a profusion of feathers, and its eggs, 5 to 6 in number, are deposited late in May or in June, and are white, spotted and H 98 PHYLLOSCOPUS dotted with purplish red, and occasionally marked with a few violet-gray shell spots, and measure about 0'52 by 0*42 inch. In south-eastern Europe a small form (Ph. brehmi Homey er) occurs, differing only in being somewhat smaller in size. 140. SIBERIAN CHIFFCHAFF. PHYLLOSCOPUS TRISTIS. Phylloscopus tristis, Blyth, J. As. S. Beng. xii. p. 966 (1843) ; (Gould), B. of Asia, iv. pi. 59 ; Dresser, ii. p. 477 ; Sabanaeff, Pozv. sredi Uralya, p. 89 (1874) ; Seebohm, Ibis. p. 10. 1879 ; id.. Cat, B. Br. Mus. v. p. 63 ; Gates, F. Brit. Ind. Birds, i. p. 403. Tysclikan-turgai, Kirghis. $ ad. (Ural). Resembles Ph. collyUta, but is smaller, the upper parts are browner and the under parts whiter, and the bill and legs much darker. Culmen 0'44, wing 2*3, tail 1'92, tarsus 0'8 inch ; first primary short, only 0'3 longer than the primary coverts, the 2nd 0'3 shorter than the 3rd and a trifle shorter than the 7th, the 3rd, 4th, and 5th nearly equal, the 4th longest. The female is rather smaller, and in the autumn both sexes are browner and duller than in the summer. Hal . Eastern Europe as far west as the Petchora ; northern Asia as far south as Kashmir, but how far east we do not know, except that it breeds in the valley of the Yenesei. In winter it occurs over the whole of India, from Sind to Dacca and south to about the latitude of Bombay. It differs from the Chiffchaff in having a loud song though poor in quality, and its call note resembles the word chi-vit. It breeds in July, building a domed nest of grass, profusely lined with feathers, and lays 5 to 7 white eggs, finely spotted with reddish brown which measure about 0'56 by 040 inch. 141. PLAIN WILLOW- WARBLER. PHYLLOSCOPUS NEGLECTUS. Phylloscopus neglectus, Hume, Ibis, 1870, p. 143 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 131 ; Pleske, Orn. Eoss. ii. p. 412, pi. 3, figs. 3, 4 ; Dresser, ix, p. 79, pi. 650, fig. 1 ; Gates, F. Brit. Ind. Birds, ii. p. 406 ; P. lorenzi, Severtzoff, fide Lorenz, Beitr. Orn. Nords. Kauk. p. 28, Taf. ii. fig. 2. $ ad. (Transcaspia). Upper parts earthy brown, upper tail-coverts paler ; under parts white tinged with buff ; superciliary streak pale buff ; axillaries and under wing-coverts white tinged with bufty yellow ; bill, legs, and iris dark brown. Culmen 0'37, wing 2 '05, tail 1'65, tarsus 0'75 PHYLLOSCOPUS 99 inch ; ] st primary long, 0'65 shorter than the 2nd, which is intermediate between the 8th and 9th. The female is a trifle smaller than the male. Hctb. Transcaspia and Turkestan during the summer, winter- ing in Southern Persia, Baluchistan, Sind, and the Punjab and Doab as far as Agra. In its general habits it is very shy and cautious, frequenting close foliaged trees, and is therefore difficult to obtain. It breeds in Transcaspia and Turkestan but its nest and eggs are as yet unknown. In Sind a form differing only in being somewhat larger in size (Ph. sindiamis Brooks, Str. Feath. viii p. 476) is said to be resident. 142. TICKELL'S WILLOW- WARBLER. PHYLLOSCOPUS AFPINIS. Phylloscopus affims (Tickell), J.A.S. Beng. ii. p. 576 (1833) ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 65 ; Pleske, Prjevalsky's Reisen, Vogel, ii. p. 115, Taf. 3, fig. 5 ; Gates, F. Brit. Ind. Birds, i. p. 401. $ ad. (Himalayas). Upper parts dull olive-brown ; wings and tail dark brown with olive-brown margins ; under parts deep yellow washed with olivaceous on the sides of the neck, breast, and body ; under wing- coverts and axillaries pale yellow ; lores and space behind the eye dark brown ; superciliuin deep yellow ; legs greenish brown ; bill brown, lower mandible pale yellow ; iris brown. Culmen 0*44, wing 2 '4, tail 1'9, tarsus 0-8 inch ; 1st primary about half the length of the 2nd which is equal to the 9th or 10th. The female is smaller than the male and the nestling is browner and has the under parts less regularly coloured. Hob. The Himalayas as far west as Kashmir ; Kansu, the Chuanche, the southern Koko-nor and the Burchan Buda mountains and those on the Dy-tschu river ; winters in the plains of India. Prjevalsky says that it breeds in the low gorges of the Keria mountains in Mongolia, but its nest and .eggs are unknown. 143. EVERSMANN'S WARBLER. PHYLLOSCOPUS BOREALIS. Phylloscopus borealis (Blasius), Naumannia, 1858, p. 313 ; (Naumann), xiii. p. 69, Taf. 375, fig. 1 ; Dresser, ii. p. 509, pi. 79 ; (Dybowskr), J.f.O. 1872, p. 358; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 40; (Gates), F. Brit. Ind. Birds, i. p. 412 ; (Tacz.) F. O. Sib. 0. p. 254 ; P. sylvicultriX) Swinhoe, Ibis. 1860, p. 53 ; P. Jcennicotti, Baird, Trans. Chic. Acad. Sc. i. p. 279, pi. xxx. fig. 2. H 2 100 PHYLLOSCOPUS Talofka, Russ. (J ad. (Lake Baikal). Upper parts greyish brown tinged with pale green, the rump yellowish green ; wings crossed by two yellowish white bars ; superciliary stripe broad, yellowish ; under parts greyish white the breast and flanks greyer and washed with yellowish; bill- brown the lower mandible paler ; legs brown ; iris dark brown. Culm en 0'5, wing 2*7, tail 2'0, tarsus 0*8 inch ; 3rd and 4th primaries longest, 5th much shorten bastard primary very small the exposed part measuring 0*32. In the autumn the under parts are pale j-ellow the breast and flanks washed with grey. Sexes alike. Hal. Northern Norway east through northern and eastern Asia to Alaska, wintering in Burma, Tenasserim, and the islands of the Malay Archipelago ; a migrant in Mongolia and China ; has occurred in Heligoland. Frequents non-evergreen woods in dry elevated localities generally in the vicinity of rivers or lakes, and feeds on insects especially mosquitoes, and obtains its food largely amongst the foliage in the treetops. Its call note is a single monotonous dzit, occasionally a double note d-z zit, and its song resembles the syllables tsi, tsi, tsi, tsi uttered in quick succession. It breeds in June, its nest being semi-domed, constructed of moss and dry grass, and lined with finer grass-bents, and is placed on the ground. The eggs 5 or 6 in number are rather larger than those of the Willow- Wren, white and profusely marked with small pale pink spots. 144. SWINHOE'S WILLOW- WARBLER. PHYLLOSCOPUS XANTHODRYAS. Phylloscopus xanthodryas, Swinh, P.Z.S. p. 296, 1863 ; David and Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 268 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 42 ; Acanthopneuste lugubris, (Blyth), Pleske, Prjevalsky's Eeisen, Vogel, ii. p. 111. £ ad. Upper parts olivaceous, yellower on the rump ; under parts greenish yellow, greyer on the breast and flanks ; superciliary stripe well defined ; upper wing-bar obscure and lower bar well defined, axillaries and under wing-coverts pale yellow ; bill, legs, and iris brown. Culmen 0'54, wing2'8, tail 2'0, tarsus 0'8 inch ; 1st primary O55 long, 2nd intermediate between the 5th and 6th, 3rd and 4th longest. Hob. Kansu and the Upper Chuanche in Mongolia, and Japan ; winters in Borneo. Abbe David says that it breeds at Moupin in May but its nest and eggs are not known. PHYLLOSCOPUS 101 In its habits it is wild and shy and keeps itself well concealed amongst the foliage. Its song is peculiar, consisting of three clear notes mi-rd-do, uttered softly. In the pairing season the males are extremely quarrelsome. 145. BRIGHT GREEN WILLOW-WARBLER. PHYLLOSCOPUS NITIDUS. Pkyltoscopus nitidus, Blyth, J.A.S. Bong. xii. p. 965 (1843) ; Pleske, Orn. Ross. ii. p. 172, pi. ii. fig. 2 ; Dresser, ix, p. 83, pi. 651, fig. 2 ; (Gates), F. Brit, Intl. Birds, i. p. 413. <$ ad. (India). Crown and upper parts bright green ; under parts and superciliary stripe sulphur-yellow ; wing crossed by two distinct yellowish bands ; bill brown, flesh coloured at base of lower mandible ; legs plumbeous brown ; iris dark brown. Culmen 0*5, wing 2'4, tail 1'9, tarsus O7 inch ; 2nd primary shorter than than the 6th. Hal. The Crimea, Transcaspia, the Caucasus, and the Himalayas, and has once occurred in Heligoland ; winters in India as far south as Ceylon. In general habits it resembles" the other species of Willow- Warblers, frequenting woods and groves, feeding on insects which it obtains amongst the foliage, and is lively in its movements and not shy. Its call-note resembles that of Motacilla flava, but I do not find any description of its song. It breeds in the Caucasus but its nest and eggs appear to be unknown. 146. GREENISH WILLOW- WARBLER. PHYLLOSCOPUS VIRIDANUS. Phylloscopus viridanus, Blyth, J.A.S. Beng. xii. p. 967 (1843) : Hume and Renders, Lahore to Yarkand, p. 220, pi. xix ; Pleske, Orn. Ross. p. 176, Taf. ii. fig. 3 ; Dresser, ix. p. 87, pi. 651 fig. 1 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 44 ; (Gates), F. Brit. Ind. Birds, i. p. 414 ; Lilford, iii. p. 66, pi. 33 ; P. middendorffii, Meves, Ofv. K. Vet. Ak. Forh. 1871, p. 758, Taf. xv. fig. 1. act. (India). Differs from P. nitidus in being darker and more olivaceous on the upper parts, the eye-streak is buffy yellow, the wing is crossed by a single dull white band and the under parts are white washed with pale greenish buff. In the autumn the upper parts are greener and the under parts more yellow. Culmen O5, wing 2'35, tail 1'75, tarsus 0'75 inch ; 2nd primary intermediate between the 7th and 8th, the 3rd, 4th, and 5th longest. 102 P&YLL08GOPUS Hcib. The Ural, the Altai, the Himalayas, Turkestan, Yarkand, and Gilgit, wintering in India as far east as Calcutta, and as far south as Ceylon; has been obtained thrice as far west as Heligoland and once in England. In its habits it resembles P. nitidus but is often seen amongst bushes. Its call note is a short psi, psi, and its song is said to be a very loud and strong trill. Its nest is domed and is placed on the ground, but its eggs are unknown. 147. PALE-LEGGED WILLOW- WARBLER. PHYLLOSCOPUS TENELLIPES. Phylloscopus tenellipes, Swinhoe, Ibis. p. 53, 1860 ; David and Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 269 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 46 ; Gates, B. of Burma, i. p. 81, (id.) F. Brit. Ind. Birds, i.-p. 416. ad. (Burma). Upper parts olive-brown washed with russet on the rump ; under parts white washed with greyish buff on the breast, flanks, and under tail-coverts ; eye-stripe greyish white, and wings crossed with two buffy white bars ; upper mandible dark brown, lower mandible pale ; legs pale flesh colour. Culmen 0'5, wing 2'45, tail 2'0, tarsus 0'72 inch ; bastard primary 0'5, 2nd equal to the 7th, the 3rd, 4th, and 5th longest. In the summer the plumage is greyer and the wing-bars less distinct, and in the winter the plumage is buffer in tinge. Hob. Japan, and passes through China on migration, winter- ing in Burma. I find nothing on record respecting the habits of this bird, which are probably similar to those of its congeners, and its breeding habits are unknown. 148. MIDDENDORFF'S WILLOW- WARBLER. PHYLLOSCOPUS PLUMBEITARSUS. Phylloscopus plumbeitarsus, Swinhoe, Ibis. p. 330 1861 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 45 ; P. intermedia, Severtz. Turk. Jevot. p. 125. ad. (Turkestan). Differs from P. viridanus in having two wing-bars. Culmen 0'5, wing 2'2, tail T7, tarsus 0*7 inch ; 1st primary 0'5 to 0*7 long, the 2nd intermediate between the 7th and 8th or equal to the 8th. The present is a somewhat doubtful species differing but little from P. riridanus. Hob. Asia from Turkestan to southern Siberia, wintering in Cochin China and Burma. PHTLLOSCOPITS 103 In its habits it is arboreal, frequenting the dense foliage of trees, feeding on insects which are found on the leaves. Its call-note is double and sibilant. Its nest and eggs are as yet unknown. 149. LAEGE-BILLED WILLOW- WARBLER. PHYLLOSCOPUS MAGNIROSTRIS. Phylloscopus magnirostris, Blyth, J.A.S. Beng. xii. p. 966(1843) ; Legge, B. of Ceylon, p. 553 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 47 ; Pleske, Prjevalsky's Reisen, Vogel, ii. p. 110; (Gates), F. Brit. Ind. Birds, i. p. 415. ad. (Kashmir). Upper parts olive-green, head darker ; under parts pale yellow washed with grey on the breast and flanks ; a well defined eye-streak and two bars on the wings yellowish white ; axillaries and under wing-coverts greyish yellow ; bill horn-brown ; legs flesh colour ; iris earth-brown. Culmen 0'55, wing 2*7, tail 2'2, tarsus 0*75 inch ; 1st primary large 0'7 long, the 2nd intermediate between the 7th and 8th. . The Himalayas and as far east as Kan-su, wintering in India as far south as Ceylon and the Andaman islands, and east to Shillong ; occurs though rarely, in Burma. It frequents wooded cliffs or steep rocky banks above water, and is shy and unobtrusive. Its song is said to be shrill, peculiarly melancholy but of singular sweetness, and above a roaring torrent it appears in its element and sings most vigorously. It is known to breed in Kashmir, but its nest and eggs are unknown. 150. BLYTH'S WILLOW- WARBLER. PHYLLOSCOPUS LUGUBRIS. Pliylloscopus litgubris, (Blyth), Ann. Nat. Hist. Ser. i. xii. p. 98 (1843) ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 48 ; Pleske, Prjevalsky's Reisen, Vogel, ii. p. Ill ; (Gates), F. Brit. Ind. Birds, i. p. 417. /6 Newton, Bias. List. B. Eur. p. 11 (1862). PinckaMgos, Spanish. $ ad. (Spain). Differs from H. pallida in being larger, with a larger first primary and a broader bill. Culmen 0'72, breadth of lower mandible at base 0'3, wing 2'8, tail 2'55, tarsus 0*9 inch ; first primary extending 0'35 beyond the coverts, and I'l shorter than the second; second 0'25 shorter than the third, the third and fourth equal. Hal. Southern Spain and Algeria, wintering in West Africa as far south as Senegambia. Frequents gardens and orchards, is very active and vivacious in its habits, tame and fearless. It affects tall trees in prefer- ence to bushes, and feeds on insects, which it captures on the wing with ease. Its song is clear and loud and usually uttered from a branch. Its call-note resembles the syllables tack, tack. Its nest, which is placed in the fork of a branch at some distance from the ground, is larger even than that of H. olivetorum, and is neatly built of dry grass-bents and rootlets, and lined with cotton and thistle-down. The eggs 4. or 5 in number are deposited in June, and resemble those of H. pallida, but are rather more boldly marked, and larger, measuring about 078 by 0-58. 160. OLIVACEOUS WARBLER. HYPOLAIS PALLIDA. Hypolais pallida, (Hempr. and Ehr.), Symb. Phys. fol. bb, (1828) ; Dresser, ii. p. 537, pi. 80, fig. 1 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 82 ; (Gates), F. Brit. Ind. Birds, i. p. 392 ; H. elaica, (Lindermayer), Isis. p. 342, 1843. $ ad. (Egypt). Upper parts dull pale olivaceous brown paler on the rump ; wings and tail dark brown with paler margins ; an indistinct yel- lowish stripe from the base of the bill over the eye ; under parts bufFy white, HYPOLAIS 111 throat and middle of abdomen nearly pure white, flanks washed with pale brown ; bill horn-brown, lower mandible yellowish at base ; legs pale horn-brown ; iris dark brown. Culmen 0'62, under mandible 0'22, broad at base, wing 2*63, tail 2*2, tarsus 0*83 inch ; first primary extending 0'27 beyond the coverts, and 1'15 shorter than the 2nd, second 0'2 shorter than the 3rd, third and fourth equal. The female and young do not appreciably differ from the male. Hcib. South-eastern Europe, Western Asia and North- eastern Africa in summer, occurring rarely as far west as Italy, extending east through Asia Minor and Transcaspia to Persia, Turkestan, and Bokhara, and south as far as Abyssinia, wintering further south in Africa. Restless uneasy and shy this species is often seen but is difficult to obtain as it creeps about amongst the foliage with the greatest ease. It frequents groves, orchards, and bush-covered places both in the valleys, in damp localities and also to an altitude of 6,000 feet. It is an industrious songster, and its song has been compared to that of H. icterina and also to that of the White- throat, but is louder and not so hurriedly uttered. Its nest is usually placed in the fork of a branch of a low tree, well concealed, and is neatly constructed of dry plant- and grass-stems, moss, and fine rootlets, intermixed with brown thistle-down and lined with fine rootlets, down, and occasionally a horsehair or two. The eggs 4 or 5 in number are deposited in June, and are pinky grey with dark spots and dots and an occasional dark streak. Occasionally but rarely the spots are collected round the larger end ; in size they average about 0'67 by 0*51. 161. UPCHER'S WARBLER. HYPOLAIS LANGUIDA. Hypolais languida, (Hempr, and Ehr.) Symb, Phys. fol. II. (1828) ; Dresser, ii. p. 535, pi. 83 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 80 ; H. upcheri, Tristram, P.Z.S. 1864, p. 438. £ ad. (Baluchistan). Resembles H. pallida but is somewhat larger, has the bill narrower and more slender, the first primary much shorter and narrower, and is greyer in tinge of colour. Culmen 0'75, wing 3'1, tail 2'7, tarsus- 0'9 inch ; the first primary scarcely as long as the coverts, 1-8 shorter than the second, second 0'2 shorter than the 3rd, third and fourth about equal. Hob. Palestine, Syria, South-eastern Persia, Afghanistan, Turkestan, Bokhara, Baluchistan, Egypt, and Abyssinia. It is said to be restless and active in its habits, and to resemble Acrocephalus dumetorum living amongst thick bushes, 112 HYPO LAIS and hunting about the branches for insects, and is less numerous than H. pallida except in the more open and semi- desert country. It frequents gardens, comparatively open bush- covered plains and wooded ravines up to an altitude of 5,500 feet. Its call-note is a sharp cry like tschick-tschick unlike that of H. pallida, but I do not find any description of its song. Its nest is placed in a low tree or bush, not more than a yard or two from the ground, is very neat, cup-shaped, constructed of grass-bents, spiders' webs and plant- down, and the eggs, 4 or 5 in number, are deposited in June, and are pinkish white, with small scattered spots and irregular streaks of dark chocolate brown and measure about 075 by 0*53. 162. SYKES'S WARBLER. HYPOLAIS RAMA. Hypolais rama, (Sykes), P.Z.S. 1832, p. 89 ; Dresser, P.Z.S. 1874, pi. Ixxix. (nest and eggs) ; id. ix p. 91 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 84 ; (Gates), F. Brit. Ind. Birds, i. p. 391 ; H. obsoleta, (Severtz.) Turk. Jevot. pp. 66, 129 (1873); Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 86 ; Gates, torn. cit. p. 393. Koktalghu, Turki ; Tchourlentki, Tekki, in Transcaspia. £ ad. (Transcaspia). Differs from H. pallida in being smaller darker in colour both above and below, and has a longer first and a shorter second primary. Culmen 0'57, wing 2'4, tail 2'15, tarsus 0'82 inch ; first primary 0'35 longer than the coverts, the second intermediate between the 7th and 8th or the 8th and 9th. In the autumn the under parts are washed with buffish brown. Hob. Transcaspia, Turkestan, south-west Persia, Kashmir, Bind, and south-eastern Mongolia, wintering throughout the whole peninsula of India, south to the Nilgiris and east to Dinapore and Lohardugga. In general habits is said to resemble H. caligata but its note differs. It frequents bush-covered localities and tamarisk- thickets, especially in or near damp localities, and is much commoner on the plains than in the hills. Its song is some- what feeble but agreeable, and is generally uttered from the top branch of a bush. It breeds from the latter part of April to the early part of June and places its nest in a low bush near the ground ; constructing it of fine tamarisk- twigs, plant-stems, grass-bents and vegetable down, interwoven with spiders' webs and cocoons, and lined with vegetable down, camels' wool, and HYPOLAIS occasionally a few feathers. The eggs 4 or 5 in number, are dull French white with pale purplish grey underlying shell- spots and blackish brown surface-spots, irrregular lines and scratches, which are often collected and form a wreath round the larger end. In size they average about 0'61 by 049. 163. BOOTED WARBLER. HYPOLAIS CALIGATA. Hypolais caligata, (Licht.) in Eversm. Reise nach Buchara, p. 128 (1823) ; Dresser, ii. p. 541, pi. 84 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 85 ; Pleske, Orn. Ross. ii. p. 367 ; (Gates), F. Brit. Ind. Birds, p. 393 ; S. scita, Eversm. Add. Pall. Zoogr. Ross. As. fasc. iii. p. 1 2 (1842) ; S. salicaria, Naum. Vog. Deutschl. Arihang p. 78, Taf. 375, fig. 2. <£ erf. (Turkestan). Differs from H. rama in being smaller, with a shorter first and longer second primary and a shorter tail. Culmen 0'53, wing 2-35, tail 2 '00, tarsus 0'85 inch ; first primary nearly 0'3 longer than the coverts and T05 shorter than the second, which is 018 shorter than the third, which is the longest. Hab. Russia, from Moscow in the west to the valley of Yenesei in the east, north to about 61°; the Altai, Turkestan, Bokhara, Transcaspia, and Kashmir ; wintering in northern and central India, south to Belgaum, east to Mudhupur and west to Karachi and Hydrabad. It has occurred as far west as Heligoland. In general habits it differs but little from H. rama and like that species frequents bush-covered localities near water, but is also found amongst bushes on the dry steppes. It does not go far in the mountains but affects the plains. Its song is said to have affinity with that of H. icterina, and also with the song of the Sedge- Warbler, and it sings both during the day and at night. It breeds in May and places its nest, which is cup- shaped and neatly constructed, either in a low bush above the ground or on the ground amongst grass, constructing it of fine grass- bents and plant-stems, fine rushes, hair, and a few feathers, and lining it with fine rootlets, hair, and wool, and sometimes a little ducks-down. The eggs 4 to 6 in number are rose coloured or salmon colour, marked with a few purplish underlying shell markings, and blackish surface spots and dashes, which are rather more numerous at the larger end ; in size they measure about 0'58 by 0*47. I 114 AEDON AEDON, Boie, 1826. 164. RUFOUS WARBLER. AEDON GALACTODES. Aedon galactodes, (Teinm.) Man. d'Orn. i. p. 182 (1820) ; (Gould), B. of E. ii. pi. 112 ; id. B. of Gt. Brit. ii. pi. 53 ; Newton, i. p. 355 ; Dresser, ii. p. 547, pi. 85, fig. 1 ; (Seebohm), Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 34 ; Saimders, p. 73 ; Lilford iii. p. 30, pi. 15. Rouxinol do matto, Portug. ; Alzacola, Span. ; Rusignuolo africano, Ital. £ ad (Spain). Upper parts dull brownish rufous, the rump and upper tail-coverts nearly fox-red ; quills dark brown margined with rufous, the inner ones tipped with dull white, the wing-coverts margined with pale sandy brown ; tail rounded, red, the central feathers foxy red throughout, the rest tipped with white, which broadens towards the outside ones, and with a sub-apical black patch ; eye-stripe buffy white ; lores and a patch behind the eye blackish brown ; under parts greyish white, sides of neck and flanks washed with pale brown ; bill dull brown, base of lower mandible yellowish ; legs pale brown ; iris dark brown. Culmen 0*72, wing 3'5, tail 2'12 tarsus 1*0 inch ; first primary slightly shorter than the coverts, second 0'2 shorter than the 3rd, third, fourth, and fifth nearly equal and longest The female and young do not differ from the male except that the latter have the quills and wing-coverts margined with pale fulvous. Hob. Spain, Portugal, Palestine, and North Africa as far as Abyssinia where it is resident ; winters in Africa as far south as the Gold Coast ; has occurred in Italy and twice in Great Britain. Frequents dry, arid, localities, vineyards, reed thickets, gardens, and prefers shady and dense underwood, and is usually seen on the ground or not far above it, and is as a rule shy. When alighting on a twig it spreads its tail showing its peculiar markings, and on the ground it runs briskly. Its song is soft, low, and mellifluous, and is usually uttered from the top of a bush or low tree. It feeds on insects which it generally obtains on the ground. Its nest is placed in the fork or branch of a low tree or bush from one to six feet from the ground, without any attempt at concealment, and it has been found on the ground amongst the roots of a tree. It is constructed of tamarisk-shoots, grass, rootlets, &c., lined with wool, hair, or feathers, and a small piece of serpent's skin is ACROCEPHALUS 115 usually placed at the bottom of the cup. The eggs, usually 4 in number, are delicate French white, sometimes with a faint blue green tinge, marked with pale underlying greyish brown shell-markings, and small dark brown surface-spots and average in size about 0'88 by 0'65. They closely resemble those of Anihus campestris. 165. GREY-BACKED WARBLER. AEDON FAMILIARIS. Aedon familiaris, (Menetr.) Cat. Rais. p. 32 (1832) ; Dresser, ii, p. 553, pi. 85, fig. 2 ; Pleske, Orn. Ross. ii. p. 148 ; (Seebohm), Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 36 ; (Gates), F. Brit. Ind. Birds, i. p. 351. Kamyschevy-Solovei, Russ. ; Rusignuolo levantino, Ital. £ ad. (Asia Minor). Differs from Aedon galactodes in having the upper parts much greyer , being greyish brown, not rufous brown, the central tail-feathers dull dark greyish brown, the under parts paler and greyer, and the first .primary rather shorter. Culmen 0'75, wing 3'4, tail 2*75, tarsus TO inch ; first primary fully O'l less than the coverts and the second 0*5 less than the third. Hob. Greece, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Persia, Turkestan, Afghanistan, and Baluchistan, and winters in Sind and Rajpootana ; has strayed as far west as Heligoland, and occurs though rarely in Italy. In general habits it resembles A. galactodes, frequents the same localities ; and its song differs but little ; its call-note is said to be tack, tack. It breeds in May or June, placing its nest in a low tree near the trunk, not high above the ground and occasionally on the ground itself. It is carelessly built of plant-stems, and lined with wool, cotton, feathers, and always contains a piece of serpent's skin. The eggs 4 to 6, usually 5 in number, closely resemble those of A. galactodes but are paler, and are subject to considerable variation. ACROCEPHALUS, Naumann, 1811. 166. PADDY-FIELD WARBLER. ACROCEPHALUS AGRICOLA. Acrocephalus agricola, Jerdon, Madr. Journ. xiii. pt. 2. p. 131 (1844) ; Dresser, ii. p. 559, pi. 86, fig. 1 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 105 : Pleske, Orn. Ross. ii. p. 552 ; Gates, F. Brit. Ind. Birds, i. p. 359. i 2 116 ACROCEPHALUX $ ad (Ural). Upper parts pale warm rufous brown, darker on the head and brighter on the rump ; wings and tail with fulvous brown margins ; a light superciliary streak ; under parts white, flanks and lower abdomen washed with buff ; bill above dark brown, below fleshy yellow ; legs pinkish brown ; iris yellow, eyelids plumbeous. Culmen 0'45, wing 2'2, tail 2'4, tarsus 0'9 inch ; wings short and rounded ; first primary narrow, about 0*15 longer than the coverts, second intermediate between 6th and 7th, third and 4th equal and longest ; tail much rounded. The female does not differ, but the young bird has the upper parts brighter and the under parts washed with ochreous buff. Hal). The western Ural, the Crimea, Transcaspia, the Altai, Turkestan, the Himalayas from Kashmir to Nepal, wintering in the plains of India. It frequents damp localities, reed-beds, the borders of small rivers and streams, gardens, and grassy places, but I find no description of its call-note or song. It breeds in damp localities and builds a cup-shaped nest, resembling that of A. arundinaceus, attached to reeds, and lined with fine plant- strips. The eggs resemble those of A. streperus but are smaller, averaging 0'68 by 0'53, and are paler in ground colour. 167. BLYTH'S REED -WARBLER. ACROCEPHALUS DUMETORUM. Acrocephalus dumetorum, Blyth, J. As. Soc. Beng. xviii. p. 815 (1849) ; Dresser, ii. p. 561, pi. 86, fig. 2 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 104 ; (Gates), F. Brit. Ind. Birds, i. p. 359 ; Pleske, Orn. Ross. ii. p. 532. A. magnirostris (Liljeb,) Ofv. K. Yet. Ak. Forh. 1850, p. 274, pi. xix. Podena, Hind. ; Tik-tikki, of the Mussulmans ; Tikra, Beng. ; Sadovaya-MoJinofka. Russ. ; Viitakerttu, Finn. £ ad. (Ural). Upper parts dull light olivaceous brown ; the rump more olivaceous, the sides of the head tinged with grey ; wings and tail dark brown margined with olivaceous brown ; a dull white superciliary stripe ; under parts white, tinged with yellowish buff on the breast, flanks and crissum ; bill brown above, fleshy below ; legs reddish brown ; iris yellow- brown. Culmen 0'6, wing 2'5, tail 2'2, tarsus 0'9 inch ; first priniary narrow, equal in length to the coverts, second 0'2 shorter than the 3rd, and about equal to the 7th ; 3rd and 4th nearly equal and longest, sexes alike. In the winter the underparts are washed with clear buff. Hob. Russia, from the Government of St. Petersburg east to the valley of the Yenesei, ?nd from Archangel to Orenburg: A CROCEPHA L US 1 1 7 Transcaspia, the Altai, Turkestan, Bokhara, and the Himalayas from Kashmir to Nepal, wintering in India from the Himalayas to Ceylon, and from Sind to Assam and southern Pegu. In its general habits is less aquatic than its allies, and frequents not only reeds and trees overhanging the water, but also low bush jungle and is to be met with at an altitude of 6,000 feet or even higher. Near St. Petersburg it is generally met with in gardens. Its call-note is a sharp tckik, tchik resembling the sound caused when a flint and steel are struck but I find no description of its song. It places its nest in a low bush near the ground, and the nest is globular with a lateral entrance, rather loosely constructed of grass, and lined with finer grass or horsehair. The eggs which are deposited in May run into three varieties, the first of which are pale rose coloured with violet-grey and reddish brown and a few black spots, the second milky white spotted with olive-brown, and the third dirty white so closely spotted with brown that the ground colour is almost hidden. In size they average about 17-85 by 12'95 millimetres (0'70 by 0'60 inch). 168. REED- WARBLER. ACROCEPHALUS STREPERUS. Acrocephalw streperus, (Vieill.) Nouv. Diet. xi. p. 182 (1817) ; Newton, i. p. 369 ; Gould, B. of Gt. Brit. ii. pi. 73 ; Dresser, ii. p. 567, pi. 87, fig. 1 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 102 ; Saunders, p. 79 ; Lilford, iii. p. 36, pi. 18 ; A . arnmlinaceus, nee. Linn. (Naumann), iii. p. 614, Taf. 81, fig. 2. effarvattc, French ; Rcuxinol pequero Lascanigas, Portu. ; Pinzoleta, Span. ; Cannajola minore, Ital. ; Teichscinger German ; Kleine Karekiet, Dutch ; Rorsanger, Dan. ; Rorsdngare, Swed. ; Trostnikovaja-Kameschcfka, Russ. ; Trzcionka, Polish. £ ad. (Italy). Upper parts pale brown with a rufous tinge ; wings and tail hair-brown margined with rufous brown ; superciliary line pale yellowish buff ; underparts pale buff darkest on the flanks ; bill dark horn, yellowish at the base below ; legs slaty brown ; iris dark brown. Culmen •0'6, wing 2-55, tail, 2'05, tarsus 0*9 inch ; second quill about equal to tlse fourth ; female similar but rather smaller ; in the winter the underparts are more tinged with buff. Hal. Europe generally, from southern Sweden and Great Britain to the Mediterranean, and from Portugal to Palestine, Asia Minor, Persia, and Afghanistan, wintering in Central Africa. 118 A CROCEPHALUS In its habits the Reed- Warbler is essentially aquatic, frequenting reed-beds and bushes in swampy localities. As a rule it is not shy but is averse to coming out into the open, and creeps about amongst the dense aquatic herbage with the greatest ease. Its call-note resembles the syllables tscho, tscho, and its song, which is uttered at intervals throughout the day and especially in the evening, is clear and melodious. It feeds chiefly on insects of various kinds, but occasionally on berries. The nest, which is suspended from reeds or willow twigs, is deep cup-shaped, artistically constructed of fine roots, grasses, plant-stems &c., and lined with fine rootlets or grass-bents, and the eggs 4 or 5 in number, are deposited late in May or in June, and are French white faintly tinged with green, and marked with greenish grey underlying shell markings and greenish brown surface spots which are distributed over the whole egg. In size they average about 0'75 by 0'53. 169. MARSH- WARBLER. ACROCEPHALUS PALUSTRIS. Acrocephalus palustris, (Becbst.) Orn. Taschenb. i. p. 186 (1802) ; (Naumann), iii. p. 630, Taf. 81, fig. 3 ; Dresser, ii. 573, pi. 87, fig. 2 ; (Gould), B. of E. ii. pi. 109 ; (id.) B. of Gt. Brit. ii. pi. 74 ; Newton, i. p. 373 ; Seebobm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 101 ; Sannders, p. 81 ; Lilford, iii. p. 38, pi. 19. Bousserolle-verderolle, French ; Cannajola-verdognola, Ital. ; Swirvpfrohrsanger, German ; Bosch-Rietzanger, Dutch ; Sumps- anger ', Dan. ; Karrsdngare, Swed. ; Bolotnaja-McdiTwfka, Russ. ; Lozdvka, Polish. (£ ad. (Belgium). Resembles A. streperus, but tbe upper parts are more olivaceous green, the underparts whiter, and the second quill is slightly shorter than the third, occasionally shorter only than the 4th ; beak and iris as in A. streperus ; legs fleshy brown. Culmen 0'6, wing 2*8, tail 2-3, tarsus 0'95 inch ; female similar but rather smaller. In the winter the underparts are washed with buff. Hah Europe from southern Sweden to the Mediterranean, and from Portugal to the Ural range, wintering in Palestine, Persia, and Africa ; of rare occurrence in England. The Marsh- Warbler is less aquatic in its habits than the Heed- Warbler for though it is found in damp localities, yet it also frequents gardens and groves. Its call-note is harsh, resembling that of the Reed-Warbler, and its song is exceedingly rich and sweet, far superior to the song of that ACROCEPHALUS 119 species, and somewhat resembles that of the Icterine Warbler, but is richer and of more compass. It is also an excellent mimic. It never places its nest amongst reeds or over the water, but in a bush, amongst rank herbage or in tangled brushwood, on dry ground, and seldom below from one to three feet above the ground. It is constructed of dry plant-stems, grasses, and nettle-fibres interwoven with insect-webs, and lined with fine grass-bents and horsehairs. The eggs 4 to 6 in number are usually deposited in June, and are French white, occasionally with a faint greenish tinge, somewhat sparingly marked with small purplish grey shell-markings, and larger dark brown or purplish brown surface-spots, which are usually more numerous at the larger end. In size they average about 0'73 by 0'52. 170. GREAT REED-WARBLER. ACROCEPHALUS ARUNDINACEUS. Aerocephalas arundinaceus, (Linn.) Syst. Nat. i. p. 296 (1766) ; (Hewitson), i. p. 122, pi. xxxii. figs. 3, 4 ; Newton, i. p. 364 ; Dresser, ii. p. 579, pi. 88 ; A . turdoides, (Meyer), Vog. Liv. and Esthl. p. 116 (1815); (Naumann), iii. p. 597, Taf. 81, fig. 1 ; (Gould), B. of E. pi. 106 ; (id.) B. of Gt. Brit. ii. pi. 72 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 95 ; Saunders, p. 83 ; Lilford, iii. p. 34, pi. 17. Eousserolle, French ; Eouxinol dos patis, Portug. ; Carrisalero, Span. ; Cannaseccione, Ital. ; Karakiet, Rietlijster, Dutch. $ ad. (S. Russia). Upper parts dull light brown tinged with warm rufescent olivaceous ; quills and tail brown, the former with lighter margins ; an indistinct dull white supercilium ; under parts white, the underwing and tail-coverts and flanks washed with pale warm fawn-colour ; a few indistinct striae on the throat ; bill brown, the lower mandible yellowish at the base ; legs light brown ; iris dark brown. Culmen 0-78, wing 3'85, tail 3' 15, tarsus 1'2 inch ; first primary small, much shorter than the coverts, 2nd and 3rd equal and longest. Female similar, the young have the upper parts tinged with rusty ochreous, the supercilium warm fawn-buff, and the underparts excepting the chin and upper throat, warm rusty fawn. In the winter the under parts of the adult are much more fulvous in tinge. Hob. Central and southern Europe, as far north, though rarely, as Great Britain, and southern Sweden ; south to North Africa and east to Palestine, Asia Minor, Persia, Turkestan, and Afghanistan, wintering in Africa south to the Transvaal. Frequents damp marshy localities and dense reed-beds, where it creeps about amongst the aquatic herbage with ease 120 ACROCEPHALUS Its flight is jerky and feeble, and it is very shy and averse to take wing. Its call-note is a harsh tschak or tack and a deep tscharr, and its song though loud and not unmelodious is not of a high order, and is generally uttered from a high reed or some exposed position. It feeds chiefly on insects and in autumn to some extent on berries. Its nest is like that of the Reed- Warbler, but larger, and is attached to several stems of rushes, or reeds near the water. The eggs which are deposited in May or June, usually 4 or 5 in number, are pale blue green marked with purplish grey shell-blotches, and dark brown surface- spots, and average 0'9 by 0*75 in size. 171. EASTERN GREAT REED- WARBLER. ACROCEPHALUS ORIENTALIS. Acrocephalus orientalis, (Temm. and Schleg.) Faun. Jap. Aves. p. 50. pi. XXB. (1847) : Pleske, Orn. Ross. ii. p. 493 : (Gates), F. Brit. Ind. Birds, i. p. 357 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 97. 3 ad. (China). Differs from A. arundinaceus in being smaller, in .having the legs slate-grey, and in having the second quill intermediate between the 3rd and 4th or between the 4th and 5th. Culmen 0'9, wing 3-2, tail 2-9, tarsus I'O inch. Hob. Siberia, as far west as the Argun river, Northern and Central China, and Japan, wintering in Burma, Tenasserim, the Andamans, and Philippines nearly as far south as Australia. In habits and song it resembles the preceding species, and its nest and eggs are similar, but the latter are, as a rule, somewhat smaller. 172. CLAMOROUS REED- WARBLER. ACROCEPHALUS STENTOREUS. Acrocephalus stentoreus, (Hempr. and Ehr.) Symb. Phys. Aves. fol. b.b. (1828) ; Stafford Allen, Ibis. 1864, p. 97, pi. i ; Dresser, ii. p. 585 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 98 ; (Gates), F. Brit. Ind. Birds, i. p. 356 ; A. brunnescens, (Jerdon), Madr. Journ. x. p. 269 (1839) ; Hume and Henderson, Lahore to Yaik. p. 214, pl.xvi. g ad. (India). Differs from A . arundinacevs in having the wing shorter, the bill longer, and not so stout, the second primary about equal to the 5th and shorter than the 3rd and 4th ; upper mandible dark horn, under mandible flesh colour with a dusky tip ; legs and feet greenish plumbeous ; iris brownish yellow. Culmen 0'9, wing 3*45, tail 3'3, tarsus 1*15 inch. ACROCEPHALUS 121 Hab. Egypt, Transcaspia, Persia, Bokhara, Turkestan, Kashmir, Nepal, Sind, and Ceylon, wintering on the plains of India from the Himalayas to Ceylon, and from Sind to Assam and southern Pegu. In general habits it does not differ from A. arunditmceus and frequents the same localities, but its song is said to differ not a little and to be louder. Its call-note is a loud tckaJc, often repeated. The breeding season is from May to August accord- ing to locality, and the nest is built amongst the reeds or in the fork of a low bush, always over water. It is deep, cup- shaped, constructed of aquatic herbage, fine roots, grass, and fibres, and 4 eggs are usually deposited. These vary con- siderably both in ground colour and markings. In most the ground colour is pale green or greenish white occasionally with a bluish tinge, in some it is creamy stone- colour ; some are stippled with numerous minute specks, and spotted and blotched with greyish black, inky purple, olive-brown, yellowish olive and reddish umber, whereas in others the stippling is wanting and the markings are smaller and less well defined, and in most the markings are most numerous at the larger end. Average size about 0'89 by 0*61. 173. SCHRENCK'S REED- WARBLER. ACROCEPHALUS BISTRIGICEPS. Acrocephaelus bistriyiceps, Swinhoe, Ibis, 1860, p. 51 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 94 ; Pleske, Orn. Ross. ii. p. 465 ; (Gates), F. Brit. Ind. Birds, i. p. 358 ; A. maackii (Schrenck), Reis. Amurl. i. pt. 2. p. 370, pi. xii. figs. 4, 5 ; Tacz. F. 0. Sib. 0. p. 236 ; (David and Oust.) Ois. Chine, p. 254. (J ad. (Japan). Upper parts russet brown, the head, wings, and tail greyer, rump and margins of quills and tail rufescent ; a narrow but distinct whitish superciliary stripe, above which is a dark brown, broad stripe ; lores and feathers behind the eye russet brown ; chin and throat nearly white ; breast and flanks pale rufous brown, the centre of abdomen and under .tail-coverts pale buff ; upper mandible brown, the lower flesh- coloured, brown at tip ; legs plumbeous flesh ; iris dark brown. Culmen 0'6, wing 21, tail 2'1, tarsus 0'8 inch ; first primary 0'5 long, second inter- mediate between 6tli and 7th. Hob. Siberia east of the Argun, Saghalien, and Japan ; wintering in Southern Pegu and Tavoy. In habits it does not differ appreciably from its allies and frequents moist and marshy places. It is an industrious 122 ACROCEPHALUS songster and its song is loud and agreeable though somewhat hurried. It commences nidification in June and builds amongst grass or dense undergrowth, and its nest which is placed usually one or two feet above the ground is strongly constructed of plant-cotton, grass and plant-stems, and the cup, which is deep, is lined with finer bents and horsehair. The eggs, 4 to 6 in number, resemble those of A. scliwnobcenus, but are much browner and darker, and measure only O63 by 0'51. 174. AQUATIC WARBLER. ACROCEPHALUS AQUATICUS. Acrocephalus aquaticus, (Gmel.) Syst. Nat. i. p. 953 (1788) ; (Temm.) Man. d'Orn. p. 131 (1815) ; (Gould), B. of E. ii. pi. 3. fig. 2 ; (id.) B. of Gt. Brit, ii. pi. 76 ; (Naumann), iii. p. 686, Taf. 82. figs. 2, 3r 4, 5 ; Newton, i. p. 380 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 89 ; Dresser, ii. p. 591, pi. 89 ; Saunders, p. 87 ; Lilford, iii. p. 42, pi, 21 ; S. cariceti, Xaumann, Isis, p. 785, 1821. Becfin aquatique, French ; Arandillo, Span. ; Pagliarolo, Ital. ; Binsen-Rohrsangcr , German ; Vandsanger, Dan. <£ ad. (France). Crown blackish brown, forehead reddish buff; superciliary and median stripes broad buffy white ; upper parts greyish buff tinged with ochreous, each feather with a dark brown median patch ; rump and upper tail-coverts washed with warm ochreous ; wings and tail brown with light margins, inner secondaries darker and edged with buffy white ; under parts white tinged with buff ; sides of head and neck and hind-neck buffy grey with dark striations ; lower throat and flanks striated with brown ; bill brown, base of lower mandible yellowish ; legs pale yellowish brown ; iris dark brown. Culmen 0'4, wing 2 '4, tail T95, tarsus 0'8 inch. The female resembles the male but the young have the upper parts washed with warm rufescent ochreous, and the underparts except the chin and the middle of the abdomen warm yellowish buff. Hob. Inhabits central and southern Europe and North Africa, north as far as Denmark, and about 56° N. Lat. in Russia, east to the Ural, west to the Atlantic, straying rarely to Great Britain, and wintering in Africa. The Aquatic Warbler frequents damp and marshy localities where the vegetation is rank and high, where patches of grass and flags are surrounded by water and morass, and small willow thickets are scattered round. It is active, rest- less, and very shy, and creeps through the dense vegetation with the greatest ease. It feeds chiefly on insects. Its call- note and song resemble those of the Sedge- Warbler, but the ACROCEPHALUS 123 -r latter is shorter and scarcely so rich or varied. It breeds in May, and its nest, which resembles that of the Sedge-Warbler but is smaller, is constructed of plant-stems and bents, and a few rootlets, worked together with insect-webs and intermixed with plant-cotton, and lined with horsehair. The eggs 4 or 5 in number resemble those of the Sedge-Warbler, but are smaller and the ground colour is paler and yellower ; they vary not a little, both in colouration and markings. 175. SEDGE- WARBLEK. ACROCEPHALUS SCHCENOB^NUS. Acrocephalus schce-nolcenus, (Linn.) Syst. Nat. i. p. 329 (1766) ; Newton, i. p. 376 ; Dresser, ii. p. 597, pi. 90, fig. 2 ; A. phragmitis (Naumann), iii. p. 648, Taf. 82, fig. 1 ; (Hewitson), i. p. 117. pi. xxi. fig. 3 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mtis. v. p. 91 ; Saunders, p. 85 ; Lilford, iii. p. 40, pi. 20. Bee/in phragmite, French ; Euisinor sylvestre, Span. ; paglie, Ital. Schilf-Rohrsdnger, German; Rietsanger, Dutch; Sivsanger, Dan. ; and Norweg. ; Safsdngare, Swed. ; Kaislakerttuy Finn. ; Kisilovka, Russ. ; Hokitnicza, Polish. (£ ad. (Asia Minor). Crown blackish brown, streaked with tawny brown ; supercilium yellowish white ; upper parts dull reddish brown clouded with dark brown ; rump and upper tail-coverts rufescent tawny ; quills and tail dark brown with lighter margins ; chin, throat, and middle of abdomen whiter ; rest of underparts pale buff ; the flanks and under tail-coverts washed with rufous ; bill dark brown, base of lower mandible yellow ; legs pale brown ; iris brown. Culmen 0'55, wing 2*65, tail 2'1, tarsus 0'82 inch ; first primary small and narrow, shorter than the coverts, second rather longer than the 4th, third longest. In the winter the supercilium and underparts are more tinged with buff. Bab. Europe and Asia ; as far northward to Finmark, eastward to the Yenesei, Turkestan, and the Altai, west to Spain, along the Mediterranean Basin, Palestine, and the Crimea ; winter- ing in Africa as far south as the Transvaal. In Great Britain in summer, up to the Isle of Skye, and Ireland. Frequents dense thickets of aquatic plants, sedge, and reed-patches, and bushes skirting water, is restless, active, and lively in its movements ; its flight is irregular and feeble and it seldom shows itself in open places. It feeds on aquatic insects, and in the autumn to some extent on berries. Its call- note, which is frequently uttered, to some extent resembles that of the Whitethroat; and its song though hurried is pleasant 124 LUSCIJIOLA and musical and by no means wanting in depth or power. It breeds in May in dense patches of aquatic herbage, and its nest which is fastened to the dense growing stems of aquatic plants, is constructed of dry stems of grasses, fine rootlets, and often a little moss, and lined with fine bents, horsehair, feathers and sometimes wool. Its eggs from 4 to 6 in number are pale yellowish brown or warm buff, closely clotted with dark brown or greenish buff, and sometimes streaked with short hair- like lines of black. In size they average about 0*65 by 0*52. LUSCINIOLA, Gray, 1841. 176. THICK-BILLED WARBLER. . LUSCINIOLA AEDON. Lusc'miola aedon, (Pallas.) Reis. Buss. Reichs. iii. p. 695 (1776) ; (Schrenck), Beis. &c. Amurl. i. p. 367, Taf. xii. figs. 1, 2, 3 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 121 ; Tacz. J.f.0. 1873, Taf. (eggs)i. ; Pleske, Prjevalsky's Reisen, ii. Taf. iii. fig. 1 ; id. Orn. Ross. ii. p. 381 ; (Gates), F. Brit. Ind. Birds, i. p. 390. Tschok- tschok, Russ. $ (Dauria). Upper parts fulvous olive brown, rump brightest ; quills and tail brown with fulvous brown margins ; no eye-stripe ; under parts buffy white, paler on the chin, throat, and abdomen ; flanks, vent, and under tail-coverts washed with buff; upper mandible pale horn, under mandible flesh-colour ; legs and eyelids plumbeous ; iris amber brown. Culmen 0'8, wing 3'25, tail 3 '4, tarsus I'l ; first quill 0'8 long, second intermediate between the 7th and 8th, 3rd and 4th nearly equal and longest. In the autumn the upper and under parts are washed with russet brown and in the young birds this tinge is more strongly developed. Sexes alike. Hob. South-eastern Siberia from the Yenesei to the Pacific, and Northern China ; wintering in India, Burma, Malacca, and the Andamans. Frequents humid and marshy places, bushes or low trees close to water, or, on passage, bushes on the plains ; extremely shy, it hides amongst the dense herbage on the least sign of danger. Its call-note resembles the syllables tschok t tschok, hence its Russian name, and its song is deep and melodious and is uttered throughout the day, but especially in the evening. It breeds in June, and places its nest from one to five feet above the ground on a willow or birch bush or a Spiraea. The nest is deep cup-shaped constructed of dry LUSCINIOLA 125 grasses and well lined with fine grass and sometimes horsehair. Its eggs 4 to 6, usually 5 in number, are rosy red, seldom rusty red, marked with pale brown or rusty yellow shell-blotches and fine twisted brown surface-streaks, sometimes pale rosy red without marking, and the surface is polished and smooth. In size they average about 23 by 16£ millimetres (0'91 by 0'65 inch). 177. INDIAN HILL WARBLER. LUSCINIOLA INDICA. Lusciinola indica, (Jerdon.) Madr. Journal, xi. p. 6. (1840) ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 126 ; Pleske, Orn. Ross. ii. p. 394 ; (Gates), F. Brit. Ind. Birds, i. p. 404. (£ (India). Upper parts hair-brown, the rump tinged- with yellow ; wings and tail paler margined, the outer tail-feathers tipped with white ; supereilium deep yellow shading into buff ; sides of head washed with buff ; underparts buffy yellow, dusky on the breast and flanks, the axillaries and under wing-coverts brown ; bill and legs greenish yellow, the former blackish on the culmen ; iris brown. Culmen 0'53, wing 2*5, tail 2'1, tarsus 0'75 inch ; first primary 0*5 to 0'7, second about equal to or rather longer than the tenth. In the autumn the upperparts are tinged with olivaceous, and the underparts buffer. The young bird resembles the adult in autumn. Hob.. The Himalayas, (Gilgit and Kashmir), Bokhara, Turkestan, and the Altai range, retiring for the winter to the plains of India as far south as Jalna in Hyderabad, and Chanda. Like the Phylloscopi this Warbler frequents tree growth and also bushes in rocky and precipitous localities. I find nothing on record respecting its general habits or its nidification. 178. DUSKY WARBLER. LUSCINIOLA FUSCATA. Liisc'm'wla fuscata, (Blyth), J.A.S. Beng. xi. p. 113 (1842) ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 127 ; Pleske, Orn. Ross. ii. p. 398 ; (Gates), F. Brit. Ind. Birds, i. p. 405. (£ (E. Siberia). Upper parts wings and tail brown, the wings and tail margined exteriorly with olivaceous brown ; supereilium buffy white ; cheeks and ear-coverts brown and pale buff intermixed ; underparts white tinged with buff ; the breast, flanks, axillaries, and under tail-coverts buff ; bill dusky brown ; the lower mandible yellowish except at the tip; legs 126 LUSCINIOLA dusky flesh ; iris brown. Culmen 0'49, wing 2'45, tail 2'25, tarsus 0'9 inch ; first primary O8 long, second intermediate between the 9th and 10th. After the autumn moult the upper parts are richer brown ; the supercilium buff ; and the breast, flanks, and under tail-coverts rich deep buff. Hob. Northern Asia from the valley of the Yenesei to the Pacific Ocean, and Japan, China and Mongolia on passage, and winters in Southern China, Assam, Burma, Bengal, and the N. W. Provinces of India east of the longitude of Etawah. Frequents low bushes on the plains and at low altitudes in the hills especially in damp localities, and is as a rule not shy. Its alarm-note resembles the syllables tscheck-tscheck, tscheck, and its song is simple though loud, and may be heard throughout the summer till the young are fledged. It breeds in June, and its nest, which is placed on the ground or in a low bush within a couple of feet from the ground, is oven-shaped with the entrance hole in the side, constructed of dry grasses and moss, and well lined with feathers. The eggs 4 to 6, usually 5 in number, are pure white, rather pointed at the smaller end, and in size average about 16'6 by 12*5 millimetres. (O65 by 0'49 inch). The Cuckoo very frequently deposits its eggs in the nests of this Warbler. 179. DYBOWSKI'S WARBLER. LUSCINIOLA HOMEYERI. Lusciniola homeyeri, (Dybowski), Bull. Soc. Zool. France, p. 358 (1883) ; Tacz. F. 0. Sib. 0. p. 275 ; Pleske, Ornith. Ross, ii. p. 409. Differs from L.fuscata, in having a smaller bill, compressed laterally at the base ; first primary nearly half the length of the second which equals the 8th. or is intermediate between the 8th and 9th ; upper mandible horn- brown, paler on the edges, lower mandible yellowish ; legs dark horn- brown. This species is only known by two specimens obtained by Dr. Dybowski at Tigil in Kamchatka neither of which I have seen, and take the description from Mr. Pleske. 180. ARMAND'S WARBLER. LUSCINIOLA ARMANDI. .Lusciniola armandi, (Milne-Edwards), Nouv. Archives. Mus. Bull. i. p. 22 (1865) ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 130 ; Pleske \ Prjevalsky's Reisen, ii. Vogel, p. 119, Taf. iii. fig. 2. Taf. v. fig. 10 (eggs) ; L. davidii, (Swinhoe), P.Z.S. 1871, p. 355. LUSGINIOLA 127 ad. Differs from L. fuscata in having the bill stouter, the throat and belly greenish white, and the feet more slender, fiist primary 0'7, second •equal to or a trifle shorter than the 8th. Hob. China and Mongolia, the Muniula mountains on the Tschurmyn river, and the upper Chuanche. It does not occur in the mountain-forests in summer, but frequents the river-banks where there are dense bush-thickets, and breeds in the deciduous woods close to running water. It breeds in June and a nest was found by Prjevalsky in a barberry bush about five feet above the ground, which was round with the entrance hole in the side, and was constructed of dry grass lined with feathers of Phasianus strauchi. The 5 eggs were white, spotted with clay colour, and in size averaged 15'9 by 12-9 millimetres (0'63 by O47 inch). 181. RADDE'S WARBLER. LUSCINIOLA SCHWARZI. Lusciniola schwarzi, (Radde), Reis. Sib. Vb'gel, p. 260, Taf. ix. figs, a, &, c, (1863) ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 128 ; Pleske, Orn. Eoss. ii. p. 388 ; Saunders, p. 73 ; Tacz. F. 0. Sib. O. p. 276. £ ad. (E. Siberia). Upper parts dusky olivaceous brown, the rump tinged with tawny brown ; wings and tail brown, externally margined with olivaceous brown ; supercilium buff, strongly defined and reaching to the nape ; lores and feathers behind the eye dark brown ; ear-coverts buff and brown ; underparts white tinged with pale buff ; bill horn, fleshy white at the base, legs fleshy yellow ; iris brown. Culmen 0'5, wing2'45, tail 2'1, tarsus 0'9 inch ; first primary more than half as long as the second, which is intermediate between the 7th and 8th, fourth and fifth longest. After the autumn moult the upper parts are tawny olive and the under parts are washed with tawny buff. Hob. South-east Siberia from Transbaikalia to the island of Saghalien ; and winters in southern China, Pegu, and northern and central Tenasserim ; has occurred once in Lincolnshire. It inhabits deciduous groves and the borders of forests where the bushes are dense. Its song is loud but short and not of a liigh quality. Nothing is known respecting its nidification. 128 LUSCINIOLA 182. MOUSTACHED WARBLER. LUSCINIOLA MELANOPOGON. Lusclniola melanopogon, (Teiiim.) PI. col. 245, fig. 2 (1823) ; (Naumann), xiii. p. 456, Taf. 370, fig. 3 ; Dresser, ii. p. 605, pi. 90, fig. 1 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 132 ; (Oates), F. Brit. Ind. Birds, i. p. 369. $ ad. (Egypt). Crown and nape blackish edged with rufous brown ; upper parts rufous brown streaked with dark brown ; rump and upper tail -co verts plain rufous brown ; wings and tail brown externally margined with rufous brown ; under parts under wing-coverts and axillaries white ; the breast and flanks washed with buff; superciliary stripe white and broad ; bill dark greenish brown above, lower mandible paler and fleshy at the base ; legs greenish brown ; iris brown. Culinen 0'52, wing 2'2, tail 2'1, tarsus 0'72 inch ; first quill 0'3 longer than the coverts, and 0*85 shorter than the second, which is 0'2 shorter than the 3rd which is about equal to the 4th and 5th. Hob. Both sides of the Mediterranean as far north as central France, eastward through Asia Minor, the Caucasus, and Transcaspia to Persia and Turkestan, and in winter to India, In south Europe and north Africa it is a resident. Frequents damp and marshy localities, especially dense reed- beds, where the herbage is so dense that it is difficult to work one's way through it, and being shy and unobtrusive it is most difficult to obtain this bird, for it creeps through the tangled herbage with the greatest ease, and but rarely ventures into the open. Its note is described as being a jarring sound. It nests in Hungary and on the lower Volga in April and May. The nest is carefully concealed in bunches of, and amongst the roots of reeds, and is constructed of flat grasses and roots, and the eggs 4 to 5 in number resemble those of the Sedge- Warbler, but have a somewhat greener ground colour and are minutely spotted all over the surface with brown. In size they measure about 0*72 by 0'53. 183. SPOTTED BUSH- WARBLER. LUSCINIOLA THORACICA. Lusciniola thoracica, (Blyth), J.A.S. Beng. xiv. p. 584 (1845) ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 124, pi. vi. fig. 1 ; Pleske, Orn. Ross. ii. p. 416 ; (Oates), F. Brit. Ind. Birds, i. p. 363 ; (Tacz.) F. 0. Sib. 0. p. 250 ; Salicaria affinis, Hodgs. in Gray's, Zool. Misc. p. 82 (1844 desc. mell.) ; (David and Oust.) Ois. Chine, p. 247. ff F THE \ (( UNIVERSITY ) V s %^e. _£>X LUSCINIOLA 129 $ ad. (India). Upper parts, wings and tail olive-brown tinged with rufous ; lores and supercilium ashy white, sides of head and neck ashy brown ; throat ashy brown spotted with black ; chin and abdomen white ; breast ashy ; flanks and under tail-coverts dull reddish brown the latter tipped with dull white ; bill dark brown the base of the lower mandible paler ; legs pale fleshy ; iris hazel. Culmen 0'5, wing 2'25, tail 2'5, tarsus 0'7 inch : first primary about half the length of the second which is equal to the 9th or 10th, 3rd, 4th, and 5th nearly equal and longest. In the winter the sides of the head and neck, the throat and breast are washed with ochreous and the spots on the throat are smaller. The young bird has the chin, throat, and abdomen dull yellowish tinged with green and the rest of the under parts dull ochreous brown and the throat is mottled or irregularly barred with brown. Hob. Southern Siberia near Lake Baikal, north China, Kansu, Moupin, Nepal, Sikhim, and Kashmir. Frequents dry localities, meadows, etc. where the vegetation is rich, and there are dense bushes, and also damp places. It is not shy and if disturbed will not fly far. Its song, which is generally uttered from a dead branch of a bush, is described as resembling the syllables trschi-trschi-trschi-trschi. It breeds early in July, and its nest, which is placed in the branches of a fallen tree covered with grass or in a heap of sticks is oven-shaped, constructed of dry grass and lined with the same but finer materials. The eggs 4 to 6 in number are white with a rose tinge, spotted and dotted with purplish ashy and purplish * brown, the spots being more numerous round the larger end, and in size average about 18*46 by 131 millimetres (0'72 by 0-51 inch). 184. LARGE BILLED BUSH- WARBLER. LUSCINIOLA MAJOR. Lusciniola major, (Brooks), J.A.S. Beng. xli. p. 77 (1872) ; (Gates), F. Brit. Ind. Birds, i. p. 362 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mas. v. p. 124 ; Pleske, Prjevalsky's Reisen, ii. p. 123, Taf. i. fig. 5. Chighchi, Turki. £ ad. (Gilgit). Upper parts dull light olivaceous brown washed with fulvous ; wings and tail brown with margins like the back ; supercilium buffy white, indistinct ; chin and throat white spotted with brown ; centre of abdomen white, the rest of the underparts ochraceons brown ; under wing-coverts and axillaries buffy white ; beak blackish ; legs yellowish K 130 LUSCINIOLA fleshy ; iris brown. Culmen 0'65, wing 2*28, tail 2*6, tarsus 0'9 inch ; first quill 0'25 longer than the coverts, second equal to the 10th, fifth longest. Hob. Kashmir, and Mongolia where Prjevalsky obtained it in the Kusski mountains at an elevation of 7,500 feet. Frequents cultivated fields and grassy localities near ditches. Its song resembles the sound made by a spinning-wheel and is generally uttered from the grass, less often when the bird is on a bush. It is shy and difficult to flush as it creeps about and hides in the dense herbage with ease. Its nest and eggs are as yet unknown. 185. TACZANOWSKI'S WARBLER. LUSCINIOLA TACZANOWSKIA. Lusciniolia taczanowskia, (Swinhoe), P.Z.S. 1871, p. 355 ; L. intermedia, (Gates), Str. Feath. ix. p. 220 (1880) ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. pi. vi. fig. 2 (hind figure) ; (Pleske), Orn. Ross. ii. p. 421, Taf. iii. fig. 5 ; (Gates), F. Brit. Ind. Birds, i. p. 363 ; L. luteiventris, (David and Oust.) Ois. Chine, p. 239 (1877). g ad, (Burma). Upper parts and tail russet brown, the latter with lighter tips ; wings plain brown, externally margined with russet brown ; supercilium indistinct dull white ; lores tinged with brown ; ear-coverts hair-brown with paler shafts ; cheeks white, the feathers generally tipped with brown ; under parts white the breast flanks and under tail-coverts • tinged with buff, the last with broad white tips ; axillaries and under wing-coverts pale buffy white ; bill dark brown ; the base of lower mandible whitish ; legs whity flesh ; iris hazel. Culmen 0*55, wing 2*2, tail 2 '4, tarsus 0'8 inch ; first primary about one-third as long as the second which is intermediate between the 8th and 9th, third and fifth equal, the 4th rather longer. The young have the cheeks and underparts washed with deep yellowish buff, and the feathers on the throat tipped with dusky brown. Hob. Eastern Siberia from the Transbaikal to the Ussuri, wintering in Burma.. Frequents paddy-fields and grassland where there are bushes, and is somewhat shy, skulking amongst the dense herbage. Its nest, which is placed in a bunch of grass near the ground, is tolerably well constructed of dry grasses, lined with similar but finer materials, and the eggs 4 or 5 in number resemble those of the Grasshopper- Warbler but are smaller. LOCUSTELLA 131 LOCUSTELLA, Kaup. 1829. 186. GRASSHOPPER- WARBLER. LOCUSTELLA N-ffiVIA. Locustella nceeia, (Bodd.) Tabl. PI. Enl. p. 35, No. 581 (1783) ; Newton, i. p. 384 ; Dresser, ii. p. 611, pi. 91 ; Saunders, p. 89 ; Lilford, iii. p. 44, pi. 22 ; L. locustella, (Lath.) Lid. Orn. ii. p. 515 (1790) ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 115 ; (Naumann), iii. p. 701, Taf. 83, figs. 2, 3 ; (Hewitson), i. p. 112, pi. xxxi. fig. 1 ; " L. avicula Ray," Gould, B of E. pi. 103 ; id. B. of Gt. Brit. ii. pi. 78. Becfin locustelle, French ; Heuschrecken - Stinger German ; :Sprinkhaan rietzanger, Dutch ; Buskrorsmutte, Dan.; Forepaglie macchiettato, Ital. ; Svertschok, Buss. $ ad. (England). Upper parts olive-brown spotted with blackish brown ; quills ancl wing-coverts margined with light olive-brown ; tail dark olive-brown, much rounded ; sides of head pale olive-brown ; chin and abdomen white ; throat, breast, and flanks pale olive-brown the former tinged with rufous ; tail-coverts very long, pale brown with dark brown central stripes ; bill dark ; legs pale brown ; iris brown. Culmen 0'55, wing 2'45, tail 2*25, tarsus 0'8 inch ; first primary about equal to the coverts, second and fourth equal, third a trifle longer. Sexes alike. The young has the upper parts more boldly spotted, and the throat and upper breast are finely spotted with dark brown. Hab. Central and southern Europe, north to Denmark, and, as a straggler to southern Norway and Karelen in Finland, east to Russia, and west to Spain ; breeds in Great Britain and Ireland; winters in north Africa, and to some extent in south Europe. Frequents bush -covered localities both in dry and swampy places, and has been found in bush-scrub on sandy, dry hillocks. Extremely shy and unobtrusive, it is not often seen, but is best recognised by its peculiar grasshopper-like note which it utters continually. It feeds on insects of various kinds which it captures either on the wing or amongst the foliage of bushes. Its nest, placed on the ground and carefully concealed amongst the herbage or in tangled brushwood, is cup-shaped, neatly constructed of grass-bents, moss, and a few leaves, and lined with finer bents ; the eggs 5 or 6, rarely 7 in number, are deposited in May, and are rosy white minutely spotted with reddish brown, which in some is generally distributed over the surface of the egg, and in others collected round the larger end ; measure about 075 by 0'55. A second brood is generally raised in the season. K 2 132 LOCUSTELLA 187. EASTERN GRASSHOPPER-WARBLER. LOCUSTELLA STRAMINEA. Locustella straminea, (Severtzoff), Turk. Jevot. p. 66 (1873) ; Dresser, ix. p. 95, pi. 652 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mas. v. p. 117 ; Gates, F. Brit. Ind. Biids, i. p. 354 ; L. hendersoni, (Cass.) apud. Hume. Str, Feath. vi. p. 340 ; Dresser, ii. p. 614. £ ad. (Ural). 'Differs from L. ncevia in being smaller paler and more olivaceous in colour, the dark markings stronger denned, the under parts white, washed with buff on the breast and flanks ; bill horn-brown, yellowish at base ; legs dull yellowish flesh ; iris brown. Culmen 0'55, wing 2*15, tail 1'95, tarsus 0'82 inch ; first primary equal to the coverts, second intermediate between the 5th and 6th, third longest. Hob. From the Ural range, through Turkestan to the Pamirs, breeding in the Ural, Transcaspia, and Turkestan, and wintering in the plains of India. In habits it does not differ from its .western ally, and its nest and eggs, of which I do not find any description, doubtless resemble those of that species. 188. LANCEOLATED WARBLER. LOCUSTELLA LANCEOLATA. Locustella lanceolata, (Temm.) Man d'Orn. iv. p. 614 (1840) ; Dresser, ii. p. 617, pi. 92, fig. 2 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 118 ; Pleske, Orn. Ross. ii. p. 626 ; Gates, F. Brit. Ind. Birds, i. p. 353. Pertouzi kritschal, Russ. £ ad. (E. Siberia). Upper parts dark olive-grey tinged with brown distinctly streaked with blackish brown ; wings and tail dark brown margined with greyish brown ; sides of the head pale olive-grey streaked with dark olivaceous ; superciliary stripe dull white ; under parts white tinged with ochreous and streaked with blackish brown, except the chin and abdomen ; bill dark brown, the base of tl^e lower mandible yellowish ; legs fleshy white ; iris dark brown. Culmen 0'5, wing 2*2, tail 1*83, tarsus 0'7 jinch. Female similar jbut a trifle smaller. In the autumn dress the upper parts are tinged with reddish brown ; very old birds have the under parts less striped, some being almost without stripes. Young birds have the under parts washed with ochreous, and have the upper parts more olivaceous in tinge. Hob. Of very rare occurrence in Russia west of the Ural, but is generally distributed in Siberia as far east as Saghalien and LOCUSTELLA 133 north to Kamchatka ; China on passage, and winters in Burma, and India as far west as Etawah, and south to the Andaman Islands. Frequents damp, marshy localities, willow bushes, and reeds on the borders of water, and skulks closely amongst the dense herbage, so that it may almost be trodden on before it will rise, and runs rapidly along the ground. Its song, which may be heard throughout the day, is a piping vibrating sound resembling the note of a locust and sounds sometimes as if quite near, and at others as far away though the bird may be quite close. It feeds almost entirely on aquatic insects of various kinds. Its nest, which is placed in damp localities on the ground and most carefully concealed, is neatly constructed of dry grasses a little moss and small leaves, and lined with fine grasses. The eggs, usually 5 in number closely resemble those of the Grasshopper- Warbler bat are smaller, averaging* in size about 0*71 by 0-51. 189. PALLAS'S GRASSHOPPER- WARBLER. LOCUSTELLA CERTHIOLA. Locustella certhiola, (Pall.) Zoogr. Koss. As. i. p. 509 (1871) ; Gould, B. of E. ii. pi. 105 ; (Naumaim), xiii. pt. 2, p. 1*1 ; Dresser, ii. p. 633, pi. 94 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 114 ; Gates, F. Brit. Ind. i. p. 352 ; PJeske, Orn. Eoss. ii. p. 597 ; L. rulescens, Blyth, J. As. Soc. Beng. xiv. p. 582. Camishcvka-priatlivaya, Russ. £ ad. (E. Siberia.) Crown and nape dark brown striped with buffygrey ; upper parts warm ochreous brown blotched with blackish brown, rump less marked ; wings and tail brown with external lighter margins, the latter darker towards the tip, and tipped with greyish white 5 superciliary stripe greyish white ; under parts white, the breast, flanks, and undert ail- coverts washed with buff, the last tipped with white : bill brown, the under mandible ochraceous at the base ; legs fleshy white ; iris brown. Culmen 0*55, wing 2'8, tail 2'33, tarsus 0'9, inch. Sexes alike. Young birds have the upper parts darker, the under parts yellowish and the throat striated. Hcib. Siberia from the Yenesei to the Pacific, and from the mouth of the Amur to the Altai range ; China on passage, and winters in Burma, India, and the Malay archipelago ; has once occurred as far west as Heligoland. Frequents marshes, swampy, bush-covered places on the borders of rivers, and places which are covered with long grass ; is very shy and skulking in its habits, and when flushed flies 134 LOCUSTELLA but a short distance, and takes refuge in the dense herbage from which it is most difficult to dislodge it. Its nest is placed on the ground and is carefully concealed amongst the grass and dense herbage. The eggs 4 to 6, usually 5 in number, are deposited in June and are pale rose-coloured, finely dotted with pale brownish red, or pale rose with almost imperceptible dots, or sometimes they have fine hair-like blackish streaks, chiefly round one end ; or occasionally the brownish red spots are more numerous round the larger end forming a wreath. In size they average .about 076 by 0'54. 190. MIDDEXDORFF'S GRASSHOPPER- WARBLER. LOCUSTELLA OCHOTENSIS. Locustella ochotensis, (Midd.) Sib. Eeise. ii. p. 185. pi. 16 fig. 7 and 8. (1853) ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 113 ; Pleske, Orn. Ross. ii. p. 591, taf. iv. figs. 1, 2 ; L. subcerthiola, Swinlioe, Ibis, 1874 p. 154 ; A. blakistoni, id. Ibis, 1876, p. 332, pi. viii ; A dybowsJcii, Eidg. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. vi. p. 92. Shima- senniu, Jap. $ ad. (E. Siberia). Upper parts wings and tail russet brown obscurely marked with light brown, except on the upper wing coverts and inner secondaries where the markings are stronger ; supercilium narrow and obscure ; outer tail-feathers with a subterminal blackish band, and tipped with dull white ; underparts white, the breast, flanks and undertail-coverts washed with brownish buff ; bill dark horn, yellowish at the base of the lower mandible ; legs pale rusty brown ; iris brown. Culmen 0'7, wing 2'72, tail 2'3, tarsus 0*95 inch, first quill very small, second about equal to the fourth, third longest. Sexes alike ; the young bird has the upper parts darker, the under parts washed with buffy yellow, and the throat and breast with indistinct darker markings. Hob. The shores of the sea of Ochotsk, Kamchatka, the Kuriles and Bering's island, passing through Japan on migra- tion, and wintering in the Malay archipelago. It inhabits willow bushes and thickets in damp places, and is said to sing chiefly at night, uttering a song which is said to resemble the sharpening of a scythe, and is syllabled as u'itsche, ivitsche, witsche, witsche. It builds on the ground, amongst the grass, an open, cup-shaped nest of dried grass lined with feathers, and deposits in June 5 or 6 eggs, pale rose-coloured, unspotted, but marked with one or two fine blackish lines at the larger end, which sometimes form a wreath. In size they average about 0'8 by 0'57. LOCUSTELLA 135 191. GRAY'S GRASSHOPPER- WARBLER. LOCUSTELLA FASCIOLATA. Locustellafasciolata (Gray), P.Z.S. 1860, p. 349 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 109, pi. v. ; Pleske. Orn. Ross, ii. p. 564 ; A. insularis, Wallace, Ibis. 1862, p. 350. cJ ad. (China). Upper parts wings and tail russet brown, crown and nape tinged with olivaceous, rump and upper tail-coverts more rufescent ; outer web of second primary pale brownish ; supercilium pale ashy and rather indistinct ; under parts pale ash-grey, the centre of the abdomen nearly white ; flanks washed with olive-brown, and under tail-coverts pale brownish ochraceous ; bill dark brown, under mandible ochraceous at the base ; legs brownish flesh-coloured ; iris nut-brown. Oulmen 078, wing 3*1, tail 2*95, tarsus 1*1 inch ; first quill very small, shorter than the coverts, second about equal to the fourth, third longest. The young bird has the upper parts more olivaceous, and the under parts are maize yellowish in tinge. ffab. Eastern Siberia from the Yenesei to the Ussuri ; Saghalien, Northern Japan; occurs on passage in China and winters in the Malay archipelago. Frequents places covered with high grass and bushes, and is shy and most difficult to flush, as it will not rise until almost trodden on and at once seeks refuge in the dense herbage, creeping through it on or close to the ground. Its song is loud, reminding one of a mazurka, and resembles the syllables touti- routi, touti-rmiti, and is uttered when the bird is on the ground. It sings chiefly at night, and but seldom during the day. It breeds in eastern Siberia but its nest and eggs are as yet unknown. 192. RIVER- WARBLER. LOCUSTELLA FLUVIATILIS. Locustella fluriatilis (Wolf.) Taschenb. Deutsch. Vogelk. i. p. 229 (1810) ; (Naumann), iii. p. 694 ; Taf. 83, fig. 1 ; Gould, B. of Eur. ii. pi. 102 ; Dresser, ii. p. 621, pi. 92, fig. 1 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 110. Bee-fin riverain, French ; Fluss-sanger, German ; Polussolovei, Sarantscha, Russ. ; Virtakerttu, Finn. ; Strumeniovka, Polish. <£ ad. (Silesia). Upper parts wings and tail uniform dark olive-brown > sides of head paler, tail tinged with rufous ; an indistinct light mark passing through and behind the eye ; under parts white, the breast and lower 136 LOCUSTELLA throat striped with brown ; under tail-coverts pale brown, with broad white tips ; bill horn-brown, lower mandible yellowish at the base ; legs dull flesh ; iris dark brown. Culmen 0'52, wing 2'9, tail 2'5, tarsus 0*85 inch ; first quill 0'2 shorter than the coverts, second and third nearly equal and longest. The young bird has the upper parts more rusty in tinge, the under parts tinged with ochreous, and the throat is also indistinctly striped. Hcib. Eastern Germany, Austria, and Hungary; Russia as far north as Central Finland, and about 60° N. Lat., in the Ural ; wintering in Asia Minor, Palestine, and N. Africa. Unlike the Grasshopper- Warbler the River- Warbler is more frequently to be met with in wooded districts than in marshes, and frequents thickets and meadows in the midst of large conifer woods, beech thickets, and pastures dotted with scat- tered bushes. Shy, and secretive it usually seeks safety by dodging about amongst the rank herbage. Its call-note is low and harsh, and its cicada-like song which though usually commenced on the ground is continued from the top of a bush, is like the syllables zi, zi, zi, repeated for some time, and though not unlike that of the Grasshopper- Warbler may be distinguished by a practised ear. Its nest, which is placed on, or nearly on the ground amongst grass and brambles, in the woods, not in marshy places, is constructed of dry grass and leaves, lined with finer grass-bents and rootlets, and the eggs, usually 5 in number, are deposited late in May or in June, and are white minutely spotted with greyish lilac underlying shell-markings, and dark reddish-brown surface-spots or dots, and in size average about 078 by 0*54. 193. SAVI'S WARBLER. LOCUSTELLA LUSCINIOIDES. Locustella luscinio'tdes (Savi), Nuov. Giorn. Letter, vii. p. 341 (1824) ; (Naumann), xiii. p. 475, Taf. 370, figs. 4, 5 ; (Hewitson), i. p. 115, pi. xxxi. fig. 2 ; Gould, B. of E. ii. pi. 104 ; (id.) B. of Gt, Brit, ii. pi. 77 ; Newton, i. p. 389 ; Dresser, ii. p. 627, pi. 93 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. v. p. 112 ; Saunders, p. 91 ; (Lilford), iii. p. 46, pi. 23. Fauvette des Saulcs, French ; Salciajola, Ital. ; Weidcnrohr- scinger, German ; Nachtegaal-Rietzanger, Dutch ; Kamysclufka- solovjinaja, Russ. ; Brzcczlca, Polish. <$ ad. (England). Upper parts wings and tail reddish brown with a faint olive tinge, the head rather darker and rump lighter ; tail with faint obsolete bars ; throat and centre of abdomen white, rest of the under CETTIA 137 parts pale rufescent buff, the tianks and under tail-coverts pale reddish brown ; bill brown, lower mandible paler ; legs pale brown ; iris dark brown. CulmenO'6, wing 2'7, tail 2'5, tarsus 0'9 inch ; first quill O15 less than the coverts, second longest, second and third quills much curved. The young bird has the upper parts greyer and the under parts whiter than the adult. Hal. Great Britain and Europe from Spain to the Volga, and from Holland to the Mediterranean; North-west Africa; Asia as far east as Transcaspia and Turkestan wintering in Palestine and Northern Africa. Before the fens were drained it was not uncommon in England, but is now very rare. A true marsh bird, this species is never found except in low damp places, densely covered with reeds, sedges, and low bushes, and is shy, keeping well concealed amongst the dense herbage, and reluctant to take wing. Its call-note is a low krrt and its song, which is uttered throughout the day, is a long smooth trill, pitched higher, but possessing more tone than that of the Grasshopper- Warbler. Its nest, which is placed low down amongst the sedges, is constructed of flag or sedge leaves, loosely and clumsily built, and the eggs, 4 or 5 in number, are deposited in May, and are dull white in colour closely dotted with bluish grey shell-markings and brownish surface-spots, and average in size about 0*78 by O'Gl. CETTIA, Bp. 1838. 194. CETTI'S WARBLER. CETTIA CETTII Cettla cettii (Marm.) Mem. Acad. TOT. xxx. p. 254 (1820) ; (Gould), B. of E. ii. pis. 114, 115 ; (Dresser), ii. p. 639, pi. 95 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. v. p. 135 ; Pleske Orn. Ross, ii. p. 634. Bee- fin Uouscarle, French ; Mascareta, Buscale, Span. ; Eossign- uolo dipadule, Ital. <$ ad. (Spain). Upper parts chestnut-brown, wings and tail blackish brown ; supercilary stripe dull white ; sides of neck greyish brown ; under parts white, breast washed with grey, flanks, crissum, and under tail coverts brownish grey ; bill dark brown ; legs light brown ; iris nut-brown. Culmen 0'55, wing 2'35, tail 2-55, tarsus 0'9 inch, first primary 0'63, shorter than second, which is 0'35 less than the third, 4th, 5th, and 6th about equal and longest ; tail of ten leathers only, and much graduated ; sexes alike. The young bird differs only in having the plumage laxer in texture. 138 CETTIA Hob. Southern Europe and north Africa from Portugal to Asia Minor, Palestine, Transcaspia, and Turkestan, east to the Central Asiatic desert region. Unobtrusive and shy in its habits Cetti's Warbler is a difficult bird to watch. It frequents damp bush-covered localities, over-grown ditches, and also dry places in close proximity to water. Its song is clear and loud but short, and is like the first part of a Nightingale's song suddenly cut short, and it sings both by day and at night. Its nest is placed in a bush two or three feet from the ground, is deep, cup-shaped, constructed of small sedge-pieces, marsh-cotton and shreds of plants, and lined with fine grass, a few hairs and bits of cotton, and the eggs, 4 or 5 in number, are deposited in May, and are uniform bright brick red, sometimes with a pinkish tinge and average about 0'75 by 0*55 in size. Mr. Gates considers the form which occurs in India to be specifically separable from our bird, in being larger and having the upper parts paler, but I do not agree with this view. 195. CHINESE BUSH- WARBLER. CETTIA CANTURIANS. Cettia canturians (Swinhoe) Ibis, 1860, p. 52 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Brit, Mus. v. p. 141; (Gates), F. Brit. Ind. Birds, i. p. 438 ; Pleske, Orn. Koss. ii. p. 644, Taf. iv. fig. 3 ; Tacz. F. 0. Sib. 0. p. 230 ; Homochlamys luscinia ; Salvad. Att. Accad. Sc. For. v. p. 511 (1870). g ad. (China). Upper parts wings and tail russet brown, on the back tinged with olivaceous ; supercilium indistinct, buffy white ; under parts white, the breast, , flanks, and under tail-coverts pale buffy brown; bill above brown, below flesh colour ; legs pale brownish flesh ; iris hazel. Culmen 07, wing 3*0, tail 2'95, tarsus I'l inch ; first quill about half the length of the second, which is about equal to the secondaries, fourth and fifth about equal and longest. Sexes alike. In the autumn the upper parts are more russet in tinge, and the under parts are rather darker. The young resemble the adult in autumn dress, but the colouration of the plumage is more pronounced. Hob. North China and the Ussuri country as far north as Lake Hanka, and winters in southern China. It avoids the plains even where there is tree growth, and affects mountain districts where black birches grow, on the precipices which are covered with under-brush. Its alarm- note resembles the syllable tek frequently repeated, and its song CETTIA 139 though loud, is short and abrupt, and sounds as if the bird never did more than commence its song. It places its nest in a bush-covered ravine either on the ground or in a bush close to the ground. The nest resembles that of Savi's Warbler, but is deeper and not so wide, and is constructed of broader flags. The eggs resemble those of Cettici cettii, though rather darker, and are either unspotted or finely spotted with small spots scarcely darker than the ground colour, which occasionally form a wreath round the larger end. In size they average about 078 by 0-6. 196. SUBSP. CETTIA MINUTA. Cettia minuta (Swinlioe), Ibis, 1860, p. 52 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 141 : Pleske, Orn. Ross. ii. p. 650. Taf. iv. fig. 4 ; Tacz. F. (X Sib. 0. p. 233. <$ (China). Resembles C. canturians, but is smaller, and has the tail proportionately shorter, but the wing formula is the same. Culmen 0'6, wing 2'45, tail 2'15, tarsus 0'95 inch. Hob. Hainan and South China, and as far north as the island of Askold in southern Ussuri land. In its habits and note it is said to differ from the preceding species, but I do not find any description of either. Its nest and eggs are as yet unknown. 197. JAPANESE BUSH- WARBLER. CETTIA CANTANS. Cettia cantans (Temm. and Schlegel), Faun. Jap. Aves, p. 51. pi. xix. (1847) ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 139 ; 8. cantillam Temm. and Schlegel, Fauna. Jap. Aves, p. 52, pi. xx. UgiusM, Jap. $ ad. (Japan). Upper parts russet brown, paler on the rump, and upper tail-coverts rather paler ; back washed with olivaceous ; forehead rich russet brown ; supercilium buffy white, rather indistinct ; wings and tail brown externally, margined with russet brown ; under parts white, washed with buffy brown on the breast flanks and under tail-coverts ; axillaries pale yellow, under wing-coverts whiter ; bill dark brown ; under mandible pale horn at the base ; legs pale horn ; iris brown. Culmen 0'6, wing 2-6, tail 2*7, tarsus 0'9 inch ; first quill rather more than half as long as the second, which about equals the tenth ; fourth, fifth, and sixth nearly equal and longest. Female rather smaller. In the autumn the upper parts are more rufous, and the under parts somewhat darker. Hob. Japan and Formosa, breeding near Yokohama in the mountains, and wintering in the plains. 140 UROSPHENA— CISTICOLA UROSPHENA, Swinhoe (1877). 198. SHORT-TAILED BUSH-WARBLER. UROSPHENA SQUAMICEPS. Urosphena squamiceps (Swinhoe), P. Z. S. 1883, p. 292 ; (Seebohm), Cat. B. Br. Mtis. v. p. 142 ; Pleske, Orn. Ross. ii. p. 652. Taf. iv. fig. 5 ; (Gates), Faun. Brit. Ind. Birds, i. p. 442 ; (Tacz.) F. 0. Sib. 0. p. 225 ; Cettla ussitrianus, Seebohm, op. cit. p. 143. 0 ad. (E. Siberia). Upper parts, wings, and tail rich hair-brown, tinged with chocolate, the wings externally brighter margined, feathers on the head rounded ; supercilium buffy white, clearly denned ; lores and a streak between the supercilium and the ear-coverts dark brown ; ear-coverts and cheeks buffy white, the feathers tipped with brown ; under parts buffy white, the chin, throat, and middle of the abdomen pure white ; Leak horn-brown, the lower mandible fleshy white at the base ; legs fleshy white ; iris dark brown. Culmen 0*53, wing 2'1, tail T05. tarsus 0*7 inch ; first quill rather less than half the length of the second, which is about equal to the eighth ; third, fourth, and fifth nearly equal and longest. Hal. The southern Ussuri country and Japan, wintering in southern China, Formosa, and Tenasserim. It arrives in the Ussuri country about the middle of May, and announces its presence by its continuous song, for it is extremely shy and secretive in its habits, and therefore seldom seen. It frequents dense under-brush and obtains its food, which consists of insects, on the ground. Its call-note resembles the syllables chick, chick, and its song, which is loud but simple, is continually raised and lowered in tone so that it is difficult to know where the bird is. Its nest is placed on the ground and its eggs, usually 4 in number, are deposited in June, and are white tolerably closely marked or blurred with red, with a brownish tinge, and measure about 0*67 by 0'52. CISTICOLA, Kaup (1829). 199. FANTAIL WARBLER. CISTICOLA CURSITANS. Cisticola cursitans (Franklin), P. Z. S. p. 118, 1831 ; Dresser, iii. p. 3, pi. 96 ; (Gates), F. Brit. Ind. Birds, i. p. 374 ; " Salicaria cisticola," Temm. (Gould), B. of E. pi. 113 ; Cisticola cisticola, Sharpe,Cat. B. Brit. Mus. vii. p. 259 ; C. brunneiceps, Temm. and Schlegel, Faun. Jap. Aves. p. 134, pi. 20. PRINT A 141 Bee-fin cisticole, French ; Cagachin, Buitron, Span. ; Becca, moschino, Ital.; Cistenrohrsanger, German; Ghas-ka-phutki)Wm.di.\ Senniu, Jap. £ ad. (Corsica). Upper parts wings and middle tail-featliers blackish brown, with rufous buff margins to the feathers, rump and upper tail- coverts rufous buff, slightly marked with black ; other tail-feathers brown, terminated with black, the lateral ones broadly tipped with white ; under parts white, the breast washed with buff and the flanks with rufous ; bill flesh colour, dark brown along the culmen ; legs pinkish ; iris light yellowish brown. Culmen 0*48, wing T9, tail T85, tarsus 0*75 inch. Female and young similar, but these latter are rather more fluffy in plumage, and the under parts are tinged with buffy yellow. Hal). Southern Europe, Africa down to the Transvaal, Asia Minor to India, China, and Japan ; the Malayan peninsula and islands. Frequents grass-covered plains, fields, and localities covered with tangled herbage, both where the soil is wet and dry, and though not shy yet it is hard to dislodge from amongst the dense herbage through which it creeps with ease. It feeds on insects of various kinds, and casts up the indigestible portions in the form of pellets. Its call note is a harsh teck, teck, and its song which is uttered when the bird is perched on an exposed twig or long grass-stem, is poor and of little compass. It breeds from April to October according to locality, and its nest, which is a neat, deep, purse-shaped structure with the opening at the top, is constructed of fine dry grass-bents and rootlets, carefully lined with wool, hair, and fibres, and is attached to grass-stems or twigs, about a foot above the ground. The eggs, 4 or 5 in number, vary considerably, being either pale blue or white spotted with rufous, or occasionally pale pink unspotted. Usually the spots are more numerous at the larger end. In size they average about 0'62 by 0'45. PRINIA, Horsf. 1821. 200. STREAKED WREN- WARBLER. PRINIA GRACILIS. Prinia gracilis (Cretzschm) in Rtipp. Atlas p. 3, tab. 2, fig. 6 (1826) ; (Dresser), iii. p. 13, pi. 97 ; (Sharpe), Cat. B. Brit. Mus. vii. p. 210. £ ad. (Adalia). Upper parts olivaceous grey, tinged with brown, streaked with blackish brown, the streaks being nearly obsolete on the rump ; wings blackish brown, externally margined with olivaceous grey ; 142 SCOTOCERCA tail brown, obsoletely barred, tipped with white, and with a subterminal blackish band ; under parts silky white, with obsolete streaks on the throat ; flanks washed with pale warm buff ; bill plumbeous brown, the lower mandible flesh coloured at the base ; legs flesh yellow ; iris yellowish brown. Culmen 0'4, wing 17, tail 2'85, tarsus, 0'7 inch. Female similar but slightly smaller. Hob. Asia Minor and Palestine, south to N. E. Africa and Arabia where it is resident. In India it is replaced by a very closely allied, if distinct, form, P. lepida Blyth, which is some- what paler, and has the subterminal bars on the tail very indistinct. Frequents fields, gardens, and marshes, is very active and restless, and is hard to flush from the dense vegetation it frequents. Its call-note is low and clear and when uttering it the bird often carries its tail quite erect; its song which is powerful and melodious is either uttered from a tall grass-stem or a twig, or else as the bird is hovering in the air. It feeds on small insects which it obtains amongst the foliage or on the ground. It breeds from May to August and builds an egg- shaped nest with the entrance hole at the side, of dried grass lined with plant-down, which it places in a low bush or a bunch of grass. The eggs, 4 or 5 in number, are pale greenish white, very closely and finely dotted with pale red, the dots being more numerous round either the larger or smaller end. In size they measure about 0'61 by 0'44. SCOTOCERCA, Sundevall, 1872. 201. STREAKED SCRUB- WARBLER. SCOTOCERCA INQUIETA. Scotocerca inquieta, (Cretzschm) in Etipp. Atlas, p. 55, tab. 36, fig. B. (1826) ; Dresser, ix. p. 99, pi. 653, fig. 2 ; Blanf. E. Pers. ii. p. 207, pi. xiii. fig. 2 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. vii. p. 213 ; S. eremita (Tristr.), Ibis, p. 76, 1867 ; Melizophilus striatus, Brooks, Ibis, 1872, p. 180. £ ad. (Baluchistan). Upper parts greyish hair-brown, the crown dis- tinctly, the back indistinctly streaked with dark brown ; wings and tail light brown, externally paler margined ; lores and supercilium sandy buff ; a spot before and a streak behind the eye blackish ; sides of head greyish buff ; under parts white, the throat streaked with blackish brown, .the flanks washed with greyish buff ; bill dark brown, the lower mandible SCOTOGERCA 143 orange-brown at the base : legs yellowish brown ; iris brown. Cul- men 0*45, wing 1'85, tail 1'65, tarsus 0'75 inch. Sexes alike. Hob. Arabia Petrsea, and Palestine, through Transcaspia and Persia to the west of the Indus. Frequents stony desert places both bare and bush-covered, on the hills and plains, and is active and restless, tame and unsuspicious. Its food consists of insects, which it picks up on the ground and amongst the stones. Its call-note is harsh not unlike that of the Crested Titmouse, and its song, which is melodious, is somewhat Tit-like. It breeds in February or March and places its nest, which is globular, with the entrance hole on the side, constructed of dried grasses lined with plant- down or feathers, in a low bush close above the ground, and deposits 4 or 5 eggs, which are white, or pinky white, spotted with reddish pink or dark red, and in some the spots are collected and form a zone round the larger end. In size they average about 0*64 by O49. 202. ALGERIAN SCRUB-WARBLER. SCOTOCERCA SAHARA. Scotocerca saharce (Loche), Eev.and Mag .de Zool. p.,395, 1858, pi. xi. fig, 2 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. vii. p. 214; Koenig, J. f. 0. 1892, p. 395, tab. iii. ; id. J. f. 0. 1895, tab. xiii. (nest and eggs) ; Dresser, ix. p. 103, pi. 653, fig. 1 ; D. striaticeps, Tristr. Ibis, 1859, p. 58. Ad. (Algeria). Differs from the preceding species in being warm isabel- line where that species is brown ; bill pale brown, lighter and tinged with orange at the base ; legs yellowish flesh ; iris brown. Culmen 0'4, wing 1'75, tail 1'7, tarsus 0'75 inch. Hob. Algeria and Tunis ; in the Sahara or never far north of it. In habits it does not differ much from that species but is said to be shy timid and unobtrusive. Its nest which is placed in a desert-bush, near the ground, is globular, constructed of fine grasses, plant-stems and grass-roots interwoven with spiders' webs, and lined with a few feathers ; and the eggs are white with a dull gloss, spotted and blotched with dull red and with a few pale lilac ground-markings, and in many specimens the red spots are more numerous round the larger end. In size they average about 0'65 by 0'50. 144 AEGYA ARGYA, Lesson, 203. PALESTINE BUSH-BABBLER. ARGYA SQUAMICEPS. Argya squamiceps (Cretzschm) in Riipp. Atlas, p. ID, Taf. 12 (1826) ; Dresser, iii. p. 23, pi. 98, fig. 2 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. vii. p. 395 ; C. clialybeus. Bp. C. R. xliii. p. 765. £ ad. (Palestine). Upper parts wings and tail greyish-dust-b,rowii ; feathers on the crown, sides of head and back with lighter margins and dark brown centres ; under parts paler ; the chin, centre of the throat and of the abdomen nearly white ; feathers on the throat and breast with dark centres ; flanks and under tail-coverts washed with warm buff ; bill horn- brown, yellowish at the base ; legs light brown ; iris reddish brown. Culmen 1-0, wing 4-3, tail ft '7, tarsus 2 '45 inch, outer tail-feather 2 inches shorter than the middle one. Sexes alike. The young bird resembles the adult, but the plumage is rather loose and lax. Hob. Palestine and Arabia Petraea. It is said to be sociable and noisy and usually collects in small parties. It runs on the ground with ease, and when followed runs from bush to bush. It frequents bush-covered places on the plains and feeds almost entirely on the berries of the zizyphus or jujube. Its nest which is a large clumsy structure, is built entirely of strips of bark and is placed in the middle of a thorn-bush, and the eggs, 4 to 6 in number, are usually deposited in April, are rich dark greenish blue and measure about 1*05 by O75. 204. ALGERIAN BUSH-BABBLER. ARGYA FULVA. Argyafulva (Desfontaines) Mem. del'Acad. Roy. Sci. 1787, p. 498, pi. xi.; Dresser, iii. p. 21, pi. 98, fig. 1 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. vii. p. 397 ; Ncdurus numidicus, Levaill, jr. Expl. Scient. Alg. Atlas, Ois. pi. 9 bis, fig. 1 (1850). Ad. (Algeria). Upper parts, wings and tail rufescent isabelline, faintly tinged with brown ; feathers on head and back with darker centres ; wings and tail externally margined with pale isabelline ; chin and upper throat white, the rest of under parts pale warm rufous isabelline ; the middle of abdomen creamy white ; bill blackish horn ; legs pale brownish yellow with a green tinge ; iris light brown. Culmen 0'9, wing 3'85, tail 5-5, tarsus 1*3 inch. Sexes alike. Hob. Tripoli, Tunis, Algeria, and Morocco, where it is resident. Frequents plains covered with bushes or low trees and is wary and extremely noisy and garrulous. It is usually seen in ARGYA—RHOPOPHILUS 145 pairs or small parties and runs from bush to bush. Its food consists of insects, seeds, and small berries. Its note is very peculiar ckuf-chur-r-r, wkeer wkcer wheer. Its nest is a loose structure of sticks, fine roots, and straws lined with wool and feathers and is placed in a bush near the ground, and the eggs 3 or 4 in number are clear deep greenish blue. 205. INDIAN BUSH-BABBLER. ARGYA CAUDATA. Argya caudata (Dumeril), Diet. Class. d'Hist. Nat. x. p. 219 (1826)-; (Hume and Henderson) Lahore to Yark., p. 197, pi. ix. ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mns. vii p. 393 ; (Gates), F. Brit. Ind. Birds, i. p. 106 ; A. huttoni (Blyth), J. As. Soc. Beng. xvi. p. 476 (1847) ; Blanf. E. Pers. ii. p. 203, pi. xiii. fig. 1 : Sharpe, t. c. p. 394 ; A. eclipes (Hume), S. Feath. v. p. 337 ; Sharpe, t. c. p. 394. Durnri, Chilchil, Peng, Hindu ; Huni, Tarn. $ ad. (India). Upper parts brown with a fulvous tinge streaked with dark brown ; wings brown, the quills lighter on the outer web, the shafts dark ; tail olivaceous brown darker barred, the shafts of the feathers dark ; lores brown ; ear-coverts rufescent ; under parts pale fulvous, the chin, throat and middle of abdomen isabelline ; sides of the breast slightly striated ; bill light brown, yellow below at the base ; legs yellow ; iris brown. Culmen 0*7, wing 3'2, tail 47, tarsus I'l inch. Sexes alike. Hob. Eastern and Southern Persia, Afghanistan, the whole of India proper, and the Laccadive and Ramesoaram Islands. Frequents bush-covered localities, gardens, &c,and is generally found in small flocks and is often to be seen on the ground where it hops about in search of insects which form its chief food. Its flight is weak and peculiar, and seldom extended further than from bush to bush. It breeds late in March or early in April and places its nest in a tuft of grass or in a small bush or tree from three to four feet above the ground. The nest is deep cup-shaped neatly constructed of grass, fine roots, &c, and lined with the same materials or horsehair, and the eggs 3 or 4 in number are clear blue with a faint greenish tinge, unspotted, and in size average about 0.82 by 0.64. EHOPOPHILTIS, Gigl. and Salvadori, 1870. 206. CHINESE BABBLER. RHOPOPHILUS PEKINENSIS. Rhopophilus peJcinensis (Swinhoe), Ibis, 1 868, p. 62 ; Gould, B. of Asia, iv. pi. 3 ; David and Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 260, pi. 19 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. vii. p. 117 ; Pleske, Prjevalsky's Reisen, Vogel, ii. p. 128. L 146 RUOPOPHILUS £ ad. (Mongolia). Differs from R. albisuperciliaris in having the upper parts darker than that species, especially on the head ; sides of the head and neck dark ashy ; supercilium ashy grey ; flanks more strongly striped with rufous and washed with vinous chesnut ; bill brown, the lower mandible yellowish at the base ; legs rufous ; iris clear pale yellow. Cul- men 0*55, wing 2*4, tail 3'7, tarsus 0'95 inch. Hob. Mongolia, the Alaschan Mountains, the valley of the Chuanche, and Northern China. It is a resident frequenting dense bushes amongst which it creeps with ease. Its flight is easy but it seldom flies far, usually only from bush to bush. Its song is sweet but of short duration. Nothing is so far as I can ascertain, as yet known of its nidification. 207. WHITE-BROWNED BABBLER. RHOPOPHILUS ALBISUPERCILIARIS. Rhopoplrilus albosuperciliaris (Hume and Henders.), Lahore to Yark.r p. 218, pi. xviii. (1873) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. vii. p. 117 ;. Pleske, Prjevalsky's Reisen, ii. p. 131 ; R. pekinensis var. major, Prjev. Mongol i Strana Tangut, ii. p. 32, No. 42 (1876) ; R. deserti,, id. Izv. J. R. Geogr. Obtsch. xiii. p. 285. g ad. (Yarkand). Upper parts sandy brown, clearly streaked with blackish brown ; upper tail-coverts uniform ; wings and tail brown margined with pale sandy brown, the outer tail-feathers terminated with white ; lore& and supercilium buffy white ; ear-coverts isabelline ; cheeks whitish, separated from the ear-coverts by a black stripe ; under parts white, the sides of the breast and flanks streaked with pale rufous ; bill dark brown,, fleshy at the base below ; legs flesh-coloured ; iris dark brown. Culmen 0'6, wing 2-65, tail, 3'82, tarsus 0'9 inch. Hob. Turkestan east to the valley of the Tarim and the Lob- nor, where it is resident. Frequents dense bush thickets amongst which it creeps like a mouse and appears to prefer those composed of Halimodendron and Nitraria schoberi. It runs swiftly on the ground amongst the roots of the bushes, where it probably obtains its food which consists chiefly at least in the autumn and winter of the berries- of Nitraria schoberi. In the desert it is generally found on the oases where there are bushes. In flight it makes a noise with the wings reminding one of a Hazelgrouse rising. Its call- note is a whistle and a peculiar harsh sound, and its song which is clear and pleasing, is usually heard in the morning and even- ing as late as November. In the autumn and winter they PTERORHINU8—TROCIIALOPTERUM 147 range about in small parties of 3-7 individuals. It breeds in April and places its nest in a dense bush about four feet above the ground, and constructs it of grass straws sheep's wool and a few horsehairs. Prjevalsky found a nest in August containing young, but the eggs of this species are as yet unknown. PTERORHINUS, Swinhoe, 1868. 208. DAVID'S BABBLER. FTERORHINUS DAVIDI. Pterorlnnus davidi, Swinh., Ibis, 1868, p. 61 : Gould, B. of Asia, iii. pi. 55 ; David and Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 187, pi. 50 ; Pleske, Prje- valsky's Reisen, ii. p. 133 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. vii. p. 353. Ad. (Mongolia). Upper parts uniform dark ashy brown ; a short super- cilium dull brownish white ; wings brown, the primaries externally margined with pale lavender grey ; central tail-feathers like the back but darker towards the tip, the remaining ones blackish brown ; chin black ; rest of the under parts ashy brown, paler than the back ; bill yellowish, but brown at the base of the upper mandible ; legs liver brown. Culmen 1'05, wing 3'5, tail 5-05, tarsus 1'28 inch. Hob. South-eastern Mongolia, Ordos, Alaschan, Kan-su, the Upper Chuanche, and the Mountains of North China. Frequents bushes on the banks of the rivers and is found in the mountains to an altitude of 9,500 feet. In its general habits it is active and sprightly reminding one of Rhopophilus, and obtains its food chiefly on the ground. Its call-note is a loud musical whistle something like that of Ehopophilus, and its song which is heard chiefly in the morning and evening i$ short and consists of a few variations of the call -note. It breeds in Mongolia late in April or early in May. The nest is a somewhat loose structure of dry grass, rootlets, and twigs, and is placed in a dense bush not much above the ground. The eggs usually 3 in number are uniform glossy blue green, and measure about 11 by 0-75. TROCHALOPTERUM, Blyth, 1843. 209. ELLIOT'S LAUGHING THRUSH. TROCHALOPTERUM ELLIOTI. Trochalopterum ellioti, Verr. Nouv. Arch. Mus. vi. Bull, p. 36 (1870) ; Gould, B. of Asia, iii. pi. 42 ; David and Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 202, pi. 57 ; Pleske, Prjevalsky's Reisen, ii. p. 135 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. vii. p. 370. L 2 148 ACCENTOR $ ad. (Mongolia). Crown and nape ashy grey ; rest of the upper parts olivaceous brown, the feathers on the rump tipped with rufous ; quills dark ash, the secondaries bluish ash, the primaries with the outer web towards the end pale bluish ash, and at the base broadly margined with dark golden orange ; tail dark ashy, margined with golden brown and conspicuously tipped with white ; lores blackish, sides of head and throat ashy brown, the feathers narrowly tipped with dull white ; rest of under parts earthy brown, the lower abdomen and under tail-coverts pale rusty red ; bill black ; legs rufous ; iris yellowish white. Culmen 078, wing 4*15, tail 5'7, tarsus T42 inch. Hob. South-eastern Mongolia, Western China, Szechuen, and Kansu, where it is resident passing the summer in the mountains as high as 11,000 feet and wintering at lower altitudes. It resembles Pterorhinus davidi in general habits and note and like that species frequents bush-covered localities in the mountains and mountain valleys. It is sociable and usualty seen in small parties of 4 to 7 and creeps and climbs about the bushes with the greatest ease. Its call-note resembles that of P. davidi but when alarmed it utters a note like prys,prys, prys. In summer it feeds chiefly on the berries of a species of Lonicera. Its nest is usually placed in a barberry bush as high as 7 feet above the ground or lower, and is constructed of strips of birch and Lonicera bark, lined with fine roots, and is a loose careless structure. The eggs, usually 4 in number, are blae green marked at the larger end with blackish brown dots, spots, and scratches. ACCENTOR, Bechst. 1802. 210. ALPINE ACCENTOR. ACCENTOR COLLARIS. Accentor collarls (Scop.), Ann. i. Hist. nat. p. 131 (1769) ; Newton, i. p. 296 ; Dresser, iii. p. 29, pi. 99 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. vii. p. 661 ; Saunders, p. 95 ; Lilford, iii. p. 2, pi. i. ; A.alpinus, Naumann, iii. p. 940, Taf. 92, fig. 1 ; Hewitson, i. p. 96, pi. xxvii. fig. 2 ; Gould, B. of E. pi. 99 ; id. B. of Gt, Brit. ii. pi. 54. Fauvette des Alpes, French ; Alpen Fluhvogel, German ; Serrano, Span.; Sordone, Ital. $ ad. (Alps). Upper parts dull ashy grey, head and neck striped with darker grey, and back with dark brown ; quills dark brown, externally margined with ashy brown and tipped with white, inner secondaries and scapulars with inner web margined with rufous ; wing-coverts blackish ACCENTOR 149 with apical white spots ; tail dark brown all but the centre feathers with a white terminal patch on the inner web ; chin and throat white, spotted with black ; rest of the under parts ashy grey, the flanks light chestnut red, margined with white ; under tail-coverts blackish brown tipped with white ; bill blackish brown, yellowish at the base ; legs cinnamon brown ; iris brown. Culmen 0'55, wing 4*1, tail 2'9, tarsus TO inch. Sexes alike, but the young have the feathers on the back with rufous margins, the under parts are duller and the spotted white gorget is absent. Hah. The mountains of Central and Southern Europe east to Asia Minor ; has occurred as far north as Heligoland and has been obtained on several occasions in Great Britain. Frequents high mountains in the summer as high up as the snow-line, and descends into the valleys in the winter. It is not shy and hops about amongst the stones and bushes like our Hedge-sparrow, and has been found in small flocks not only in the winter but in colonies in the breeding season. It feeds on insects of various kinds and seeds of alpine plants. Its call-note resembles the syllables tri, tri, tri, and its song is a rich liquid chick, icTi, ich, ich. Its nest, which is placed under the ledge of a rock or under a low bush on the ground, is constructed of grass-bents, roots, and a few lichens, or moss, lined with the same materials or occasionally a few feathers. The eggs 4-5 in number are usually deposited in June and resemble those of the Hedge- sparrow (A. modularis), but are larger, measuring about 0'92 by 0-64. 211. SUBSP. ACCENTOR ERYTHROPYGIUS. Accentor erythropygius (Swinhoe), P. Z. S., 1870, p. 124, pi. 9 ; Gould, B. of Asia, iv. pi. 43 ; David and Oust, Ois. Chine, p. 178 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. vii. p. 663 ; Tacz. f. 0. Sib. 0. p. 221. Ad. (E. Siberia). Differs from A. collaris in having the head and neck slightly darker, the flanks more rufous, and the rump and upper tail-coverts dull rusty instead of grey. Culmen 0'52, wing-4'25, tail 3'22, tarsus 0'95 inch. Hob. The mountains of Eastern Siberia, and as far south as near Pekin ; also Japan. In general habits it does not differ from Accentor collaris and also inhabits rocky mountainous localities at considerable elevations, retiring down into the valleys or passing further south in the late autumn. It breeds in the Chamardaban mountains in the southern Baikal district, and its nest and eggs doubtless resemble those of A . collaris, but so far as I know they have not yet been obtained. 150 ACCENTOR 212. SUBSP. ACCENTOR RUFILATUS. Accentor rujilatus, Severtz. Zap. Turk. Otd. i. p. 45 (1879) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 664 ; PJeske, Prjevalsky's Reiser, ii. p. 140, Taf. iv. fig. 4. Ad. (Turkestan). Differs from A. collaris in having the scapulars rusty red, the rump unstriped, and the flanks deep rusty red ; bill blackish, the lower mandible yellowish at the base ; legs brownish flesh ; iris brown. Culmen 0'6, wing 3'9, tail 2'5, tarsus 0'9 inch. First quill shorter than the coverts, second equals the sixth, the third, fourth, and fifth longest. Hob. Turkestan to the neighbourhood of Gilgit and Northern Kashmir. Nothing is on record respecting its general habits which pro- bably do not differ from those of A. collaris, and its nest and eggs are as yet unknown, but it is said to breed in July in Turkestan. 213. HIMALAYAN ACCENTOR. ACCENTOR HIMALAYANUS. Accentor himalayanus, Blyth, .1. As. Soc.-Beng. xi. p. 187 (1842) ; Gates, R Brit. Ind. Birds, ii. p. 168 ; A. altaicus, Brandt, Bull. Soc. St. Petersb. i. p. 365 (1843) ; Gould, B. of Asia. iv. pi. 49 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. vii. p. 660. Ad. (Altai). Somewhat resembles A. collaris^ but has the upper parts browner in tinge of colour ; the back and scapulars are black, margined with rufous ; upper tail-coverts and tail dark brown, margined with rufous ; middle of chin and throat white, the sides banded with white, the feathers on the lower part tipped with black forming a small collar ; feathers of the rest of under parts rusty red, margined with white, the middle of the abdomen nearly pure white ; bill black, fleshy at the base ; legs fleshy brown ; iris red. Culmen 0'48, wing 37, tail 2'4, tarsus 0-85 inch. Sexes alike. The young bird has less black on the back and the rufous is duller ; the throat is dull while spotted with grey ; the breast dull yellowish buff striped with brown, and the rest of the under parts are dull isabelline, the under tail-coverts brown in the middle. Hob. The Altai range, eastern Siberia, Turkestan, the Baikal mountains, and the Himalayas from Chamba and Gilgit to Sikhim ; resident almost throughout its range descending to lower altitudes for the winter. In general habits it agrees closely with Accentor collaris, and like that species frequents wild rocky localities in the mountains. Its nest and eggs are, so far as I know, not known but probably resemble those of A. collaris. ACCENTOR 151 214. RUFOUS-BREASTED ACCENTOR. ACCENTOR STROPHIATUS. Accentor strophiatus, Hodgson, J.A.Soc. Beng. xii. p. 959 (1843) ; Gould, B. of Asia, iv. pi. 47 ; Gates, F. Brit Ind. Birds, ii. p. 171 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. vii. p. 658 ; A. ' multistriatus, David Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. (4) vii. p. 256 (1871). Pliooching-pho, Lepch. <£ ad, (Himalayas). Entire upper parts rufous brown broadly streaked with black ; wings and tail dark brown, the former externally margined with rufous ; lores cheeks and ear-coverts black ; a broad white super- cilium in front of the eye, rich rusty behind, above margined with black ; chin and throat white spotted, chiefly on the sides, with black ; breast deep rusty red ; middle of abdomen whitish ; rest of the under parts reddish brown streaked with black ; bill black ; legs reddish brown ; iris dark brown. Culmen 0'58, wing 2*55, tail 2'3, tarsus 0'8 inch. Female similar but has the breast streaked with black. Hob. The Himalayas from Sikhim and Nepal to Kotgarh, Tibet, the mountains in the province of Kan-su, and the upper Chuanche. Frequents wild rocky localities at considerable altitudes during the summer, retiring to the valleys or in some cases further south at the approach of winter. Its nest, which is placed on the ground amongst tufts of grass, is constructed of fine roots and moss, lined with sheep's wool and yakshair, and its 3 or 4 eggs are pale sky blue, spotless, measuring about 0*74 by 0*54. The breeding season is from May to August. In the Himalayas from Gilgit to Mussoore a nearly allied species A.jerdoni, Brooks, occurs, which differs in having the back only and not the head and neck striped, and the hinder part of the supercilium and breast are pale rufous, not deep ferruginous. 215. REDBREASTED ACCENTOR. ACCENTOR RUBECUL.OIDES. Accentor rubeculoides, Moore, P.Z S. p. 118, 1854 (ex. Hodgs. MSS.) ; Gould, B. of Asia, iv. pi. 46 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. vii. p. 657 ; Gates, F. Brit. Ind, Birds, ii. p. 169 ; Pleske, Prjevalsky's Keisen, ii. p. 147. (£ ad. (Sikhim). Head and neck greyish brown ; back scapulars and rump reddish brown broadly streaked with black ; upper tail-coverts plain brown ; tail brown with paler margins ; quills brown with rufous margins, 152 ACCENTOR the inner secondaries and wing-coverts darker with broad rufous margins, the latter tipped with white ; chin and throat ashy brown with darker bases ; breast deep ferruginous ; abdomen whitish ; flanks and- under tail- coverts pale rufous streaked with brown ; bill black ; legs reddish brown ; iris pale brown. Culmen 0'6, wing 3'25, tail 2*9, tarsus 0*9 inch. Sexes alike. Hob. The Himalayas from Eastern Kashmir and Ladak to Sikhim, Tibet, and the Koko-nor and Tetung mountains in Mongolia, where it is resident. It passes the summer in high altitudes descending to the valleys in the winter. Its song is said to resemble that of Rutieilla aurwea, but has a peculiar tone like the rustling of dry leaves. According to Prjevalsky it breeds in the mountains of Kan-su, on the upper Chuanche and on the Dy-tschu river but its nest and eggs are, so far as I know, as yet undescribed. 216. BLACK-THROATED ACCENTOR. ACCENTOR ATRIGULARIS. Accentor atrigularis, Brandt. Bull. Acad. St. Petersb. ii. p. 140 (1844) ; Gould, B. of Asia, iv. pi. 48 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. vii. p. 606 ; Pleske, Prjevalsky's Keisen, ii. p. 156 ; Dresser, ix. p. 109, pi. 654, fig. 2 ; Gates, F. Brit. Ind. Birds, ii. p. 170 ; A. huttoni, Moore, P.Z.S. p. 119, 1854. £ ad. (Turkestan). Upper parts ashy hair-brown, striped with blackish brown, the crown darker, the sides blackish ; rump plain brown ; wings and tail brown, margined with fulvous ; superciliary stripe buff; throat and sides of the head black ; rest of un der parts ochraceous buff, the flanks and under tail-coverts striped with brown ; abdomen nearly white ; bill blackish brown, fleshy at the b ase ; legs fleshy brown ; iris dark brown. Culmen 0'5, wing 2 '95, tail 27, tarsus 0'82 inch. Female slightly duller in colour. In" the winter the black on the throat is obscured by buffy white margins. Hob. The Kirghis steppes, Turkestan, Samarkand, the Altai range, occurring as far west as Orenburg, ranging in winter to Afghanistan, the N. W. Himalayas, and the Punjab salt range. They are usually seen in pairs and are not shy. Scully met with it in winter in orchards where they were running about on the sward near rose-bushes. It is said to breed in the Altai range and Eastern Turkestan, but so far as I can ascertain there is no authentic record of its nidification. Eggs said to belong to this species resemble those of Accentor modularis. ACCENTOR 153 217. BROWN ACCENTOR. ACCENTOR FULVESCENS. Accentor fulvescens, Severtzoff, Turk. Jevot. pp. 66, 132 (1873) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. vii. p. 655 ; Dresser, ix. p. 105, pi. 654, fig. 1 ; Pleske, Prjevalsky's Reisen, p. 145 ; Gates, F. Brit. Ind. Birds, ii. p. 171 ; Tacz. F. O. Sib. 0. p. 220 ; A. dahuricuj, Tacz. Bull. Soc. Fr. 1876, p. 144; A. ocularis, Radde, Orn. Cauc. p. 244, pi. xiv. $ ad. (Turkestan). Resembles A. montanellus, but the back is pale fulvous brown, the flanks uniform, unstriped or very slightly so, and the under parts paler, the throat nearly white. Culmen 0'5, wing 3*05, tail 2 -6, tarsus 0*8 inch. Female slightly duller in colour, and the supercilium narrower. In the autumn the plumage is paler and duller and the under parts are warmer clay-buff in tinge. Hob. Siberia (Irkutsk and the Argun River), Turkestan, Mongolia, and Tibet ; the Himalayas ; Sikhim in winter. In habits it is said to resemble A. montanellus , and frequents similar localities. Nothing is known respecting its nidification. 218. MOUNTAIN ACCENTOR. ACCENTOR MONTANELLUS. Accentor montanellus, (Pall.) Keis. Euss. Keichs. iii. p. 695 (1776) ; Naum. iii. p. 949, taf. 92, fig. 2 ; Gould, B. of E. ii. pi. 101 ; id, B. of Asia, iv. pi. 41 ; Dresser, iii, p. 35, pi. 100 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. vii. p. 653 ; A. temmincki, Brandt, Bull. Acad. N. Sc. St. Petersb. ii. p. 39. g ad. (Siberia). Upper parts rufous, streaked with greyish brown, the crown plain ashy brown, the rump ashy brown, also unstreaked ; wings da,rk brown the feathers margined with dull chestnut ; tail ashy brown with paler margins ; sides of the crown, lores, sides of the head and ear- coverts black ; a broad yellowish buff band passes over the eye round the ear-coverts to the neck joining the same colour on the sides of the throat ; under parts ochreous buff, the abdomen nearly white ; flanks and under tail-coverts striped with brown ; bill blackish ; legs light brown ; iris yellowish brown. Culmen 0'5, wing 2'85, tail • 2*6, tarsus 0'75 inch. Female rather duller and paler, and the summer plumage is paler than that assumed in the autumn. Hob. From the Ural through Siberia as far east as the sea of Japan, south to Southern Russia, Turkestan, Mongolia, 154 ACCENTOR N. China and Corea; as a straggler has been met with in Austria. Frequents bush-covered localities, gardens, and the borders of streams in the valleys, and in general habits does not differ much from the Hedge Accentor. Its call note is a low whistle and its song is short and unpretentious but pleasant, and the Chinese near Peking keep it as- a cage bird. It breeds in Siberia, and its nest and eggs have been taken on the Yenesei. The nest, which is constructed of small twigs and dry grass lined with moss and a few hairs, is placed either low down, in the stump of an old tree near the ground, or as high as about eight feet above the ground in the fork of a willow, and the eggs 4 to 6 in number closely resemble those of the Hedge Accentor. 219. HEDGE-SPARROW. ACCENTOR MODULARIS. Accentor modularis, (Linn.) Syst. Nat. i. p. 329 (1766) ; Naum. iii. p. 951, Taf. 92, figs. 3, 4 ; Hewitson, i. p. 97, pi. xxvii. fig. 1 ; Gould, B. of E. ii. pi. 100 ; id. B. of Gt. Brit, ii. pi. 55 ; Newton, i. p. 301 ; Dresser, iii. p. 39, pi. 100 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. vii. p. 649 ; Saunders, p. 93. ; Lilford, iii. p. 4. pi. 2 ; A. orientalis, Sharpe, op. cit. p. 652. Moiichet, French ; Churruca, Span. ; Passera scopaiola, Ital. ; Hecken-Braunelle, German ; Boeren-Nachtegall, Dutch ; Brunellen, Dan. ; Jernspurv, Norweg. ; Jernsparf, Swed. ; Rautiainen, Finn. ; Lisnaya-Zamrooslika, Russ. $ ad. (England). Upper parts reddish brown streaked with dark brown, the head and nape greyer, the rump dull olive-brown scarcely streaked ; wings and tail brown, the former margined with buffy brown and rufous brown, the wing-coverts tipped with yellowish brown ; throat greyish white ; sides of head and neck, and the breast ashy grey ; ear- coverts washed with brown ; abdomen greyish white ; flanks pale brown streaked with darker brown ; bill blackish brown, fleshy at the base ; legs dull yellowish brown ; iris dark brown. Culmen, 0'5, wing 2*7, tail 2'2 tarsus 0'75 inch. Sexes alike. Hob. Europe generally, north to Lapland ; North Africa ; Arabia, Asia Minor, and east to Persia. Frequents groves, gardens, &c., and is very tame and familiar, frequenting localities inhabited by man, and is one of our best- known birds. It is generally seen creeping about in the hedge- rows where it finds a plenteous supply of small insects and ACCENTOR 155 seeds which form its food. Its song is short but clear and pleasantly modulated. It breeds from March to May and its nest, which is usually placed in a hedge or bush, is constructed of dry grass and moss, and lined with hair or wool. The eggs from 5 to 6 in number are glossy greenish blue unspotted and average about 0'78 by 0'54 in size. Two broods are usually raised in the season. Dr. Sharpe has (I.e.) separated the Persian bird from the European, naming the former A. orientalis, but I cannot find any specific difference between birds from these two localities. 220. JAPANESE ACCENTOR. ACCENTOR RUBIDUS Accentor rub'uhis, Temm. and Schlegel. Faun. Jap. p. 69, pi. 32 (1850) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. vii. p. 652 ; Seebohm, B. Jap. Emp. p. 56 ; A.fervidus, Sharpe, torn. cit. p. 653. $ ad. (Japan). Differs from A. modularis in having the head and neck uniform reddish brown, unstriped ; the back rufous, marked with blackish brown, the under parts dull brownish grey ; clearer on the abdomen, the flanks not streaked ; bill blackish ; legs brownish flesh ; iris hazel. Culmen 0'53, wing 2'6, tail 2*2, tarsus 0-75 inch. Sexes alike. Hob. Northern Japan where it is resident. In habits the Japanese bird does not differ greatly from our European Hedge -Sparrow. It is found in the plains and also on the mountains as high as 8,000 feet, and frequents the scrub-willows, and has a sparrow-like chirping note. Its breeding habits and nest do not differ from those of the European form. 221. KOSLOV'S ACCENTOR. ACCENTOR KOSLOVI. Accentor Jeoslovi, Prjev. Novi. bidi. ptitz. Centr. Asie. Zap. Imp. Akad. Nayk, Iv. p. 83 (1887) ; Pleske, Prjevalsky's Reisen, ii. Vog. p. 143 ; A. pallidus, Menzbier, Ibis, 1887, p. 299, pi. ix. Ad. Upper parts brownish isabelline striped with dark brown, these being paler on the head and nape ; rump unstriped ; wings and tail brown externally margined with brownish isabelline ; two white bands cross the wing ; throat brownish smoke-grey with whitish tips to the feathers : ear-coverts slightly yellower than the throat, rest of under parts dirty white, the feathers on the breast brown at the base ; flanks striped with brownish isabelline ; bill brown paler below and at the base ; legs flesh coloured ; 156 PANURUS iris light brown. Culmen 0'55, wing 2'91, tail 2'87, tarsus 0'82 inch ; second quill equal to the 7th or sometimes longer, 4th and 5th longest. Sexes alike, but the young have the brown on the upper and under parts more pronounced. Hal. N.W. Mongolia ; Alaschan, Urga, Kobdo, and the Gobi district. Nothing is on record respecting its habits or nidification ; but it is supposed to breed in southern Siberia and in the wooded mountains bordering the Gobi, such as the Alaschan and Muni-ula ranges. PANURTJS, Koch, 1816. 222. BEAKDED REEDLING. PANURUS BIARMICUS. Panurus biarmicus, (Linn.) Syst. Nat. i. p. 342 (1766) ; (Naum.) iv. p. 98, Taf. 96 ; (Hewitson), i. p. 161, pi. xl. fig. 3 ; (Gould), B. of E. iii. pi. 158 ; (id.) B. of Gt. Brit. ii. pi. 30 ; Newton, i. p. 511 ; (Dresser), iii. p. 49, pi. 102 ; Gadow, Cat. B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 77 ; Saunders, p. 99 ; Lilford, ii. p. 93, pi. 43. Mtsange d moustaches, French ; Bigotudo, Chaliuet, Span. ; Basettino, Ital. ; Bart-Rolirmeise, German ; Bardmannetje, Dutch ; SJcjcegmeise, Dan. ; Usataya-sinitsa, Russ. $ ad. (Holland). Head clear blue-grey ; lores, a demi-eyebrow and an elongated moustache black ; back rich fawn ; scapulars white tinged with fulvous ; quills brown margined with white and fawn ; primary and median coverts black, edged with white and fawn ; tail rusty red the external feathers edged and tipped with grey ; throat and upper breast greyish white, the sides of the latter delicate pink ; abdomen fulvous white ; flanks fawn ; vent and under tail-coverts black ; bill and iris orange-yellow ; legs black. Culmen 0'35, wing 2 '35, tail 3'3, tarsus 0*75 inch. The female lacks the black moustache and has the vent and under tail-coverts fawn, the upper 'parts greyish fawn tinged with rufous, the under parts duller than in the male, the lores and cheeks dirty white, and the throat and abdomen greyish white. The young bird resembles the female but has the crown and back striped with black. Hal. Europe as far north as southern Denmark and Great Britain, south to the Mediterranean ; Asia Minor, southern Russia, east to Turkestan and Mongolia, where it has been obtained on the Koko-nor. In England it is now rare, except on the Norfolk Broads, and resident. ACREDULA 157 Frequents marshes and fens where there are large reed-beds, and feeds on aquatic insects in summer and seeds, chiefly those of the common reed, in winter. Its flight is short and low, only just clearing the reed-tops. Its note is musical, and has been described as ping, ping and zit, zit, and during the breeding- season zit-zrrrr. It breeds in April and again in July or early in August. The nest is placed amongst the reeds close to the ground, constructed of dry grasses and reed-fibres, lined with the same but finer materials ; is round, the opening small. The eggs, from 4 to 6 or even 7 in number, are white, sparsely covered with irregular reddish brown scratches, and measure about 073 by 0-55. Eastern birds are considerably paler than those from the west, and are by some naturalists considered as subspecifically separable, the eastern form having been named, P. sibericus (Bp.), Compt. Rend., 1856, p. 414. ACREDULA, Koch, 1816. 223. LONGTAILED TITMOUSE. ACREDULA CAUDATA. Acredula caudata, (Linn.) Syst. Nat. i. p. 342 (1766) ; (Naum.) iv. p. 84, Taf. 95, figs. 4, 5, 6 ; (Gould), B. of E. pi. 157 ; Dresser, iii. p. 67, pi. 104 ; Gadow, Cat. B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 59 ; Saunders, p. 101 ; Lilford, ii. p. 110, pi. 50 ; (Tacz.) F. 0. Sib. 0. p. 443 ; Seebohm, B. Jap. Emp. p. 87. Mtsange cb longue queue, French ; Codona capo bianco, Ital. ; Schwanzmeise, German ; Staartmees, Dutch ; Stjertmeise, Dan. ; Stjarttita, Norweg. ; Stjertmes, Swed. ; Pyrstotiainen, Finn. ; Dolgovostaya sinilckka, Russ. £ ad. (Sweden). Head snowy white ; hind neck and back black, the latter with the sides and scapulars vinous red, and the lower part and rump pale rosy red ; upper tail-coverts black ; wings and tail blackish brown externally margined with white, the outer tail-feathers broadly terminated with white ; under parts white washed with vinous on the flanks and under tail-coverts ; bill and feet black ; iris brown ; ring round the eye lemon-yellow. Culmen 0'3, wing 2*5, tail 3'5, tarsus 0*6 inch. Sexes alike. The young have the upper parts brownish black, the centre of the crown white, and the under parts duller than in the adult. Hob. Northern and central Europe, extending across N. Asia to Kamchatka and Japan, in winter ranging into southern Europe, and occurs as a rare straggler in Great Britain. 158 ACREDULA In the summer it frequents woods and groves, and in the autumn and winter it collects in family parties or small flocks, and ranges about in the woods and in gardens utter- ing, when on the wing, a continuous note, zit zi, zi, but it has no regular song. It feeds chiefly on small insects which it obtains on the trees and bushes, but \vhen these are scarce it- will eat small seeds. Its nest is one of the most artistic of that of any of our birds, is oval in shape with a hole in the side near the top, is constructed of green moss and lichens care- fully worked together with spiders' webs and profusely lined with feathers and hair. The eggs, which are deposited in May, are dull white finely dotted with red, chiefly at the larger end, and average in size about O53 by 0'42. In number they vary from 6 to 8, 10 and even 16 or more. The nest is placed in a bush or tree at altitudes varying from two or three to fifty feet above the ground. Specimens from Siberia have the tail longer, varying from 3 '7 to 4'0 inch, and have been separated under the name of A. macrura, Seebohm (Brit. B. 1, p. 487.) 224. SUBSP. ACREDULA ROSEA. Acredula rosea, (Blyth), ed. White's Nat. Hist, of Selb. p. 111. footnote (1836) ; Gould, B. of Gt. Brit. ii. pi. 28, 29 ; Dresser, iii. p. 63, pi. 103; Gadow, Cat. B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 61 ; Saunders, p. 101 ; A. caudata, Hewitson, i. p. 158, pi. xl. fig. 2 ; Newton, i. p. 504 ; Lilford, ii. p. 110, pi. 50 (partim). Codona, Ital. Ad. (Great Britain). Differs from A. caudata in having the middle of the crown only white, bordered on each side by a broad black band extending from the base of the bill over the eye and joining the black on the nape ; under parts dull white slightly marked with brown on the breast and sides of the neck ; bill and legs black ; iris brown, ring round the eye orange-yellow. Culmen 0'3, wing 2'5, tail 3'6, tarsus 0'7 inch ; sexes alike. Hob. The British Isles, and west central Europe to N. Italy, where it meets Acredula irlii. In habits, note, food, and nidification the present species does not differ from A. caudata. 225. SUBSP. ACREDULA TRIVIRGATA Acredula trivirgata, (Temm. and Schlegel). -Faun. Jap. Aves. p. 60, pi. 34 ; Gadow, Cat. B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 62 ; Seebohm, B. Jap. Emp. p. 87. ACREDULA 159 0-naga, Jap. ad. (Japan). Differs from Acredula rosea merely in having the black supercilium continued across the lores to the base of the bill. Hob. Japan on the main island. In habits and nidification it does not differ from A. rosea. It breeds on Fuji, and visits the lower country around Tokio and Yokohama in winter. 226. SUBSP. ACREDULA IRBII. Acredula irbii, Sharpe and Dresser, P.Z.S. 1871, p. 312; Dresser, iii,. p. 73, pi. 105, fig. 1 ; Gadow, Cat. B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 63. Mito, Span.; Codibugnolo, Ital. Ad. (Spain). Differs from A. rosea in having the back bluish grey,, not black, slightly tinged with rose on the sides, the centre of the crown usually white striped with black, and the cheeks dull white finely striped with blackish grey. Culmen 0'25, wing 2 '32, tail 3 '2, tarsus 0'65 inch. Hob. Spain, Southern Italy, and Sicily, and strays into- France. In note, habits, and nidification it does not differ from Acredula rosea. It breeds near Gibraltar, placing its nest 15 or 16 feet above the ground in the Zarzaparilla, a thorny creeper, a species of Smilax, and its eggs are deposited late in February. 227. SUBSP. ACREDULA CAUCASICA. Acredula caucasica (Lorenz.) Beitr. Orn. Nords. Kauk. p. 60 Nachtrag. (1887) ; Dresser, ix. p. 113, pi. 655, fig. 2. Ad. (Kuban). Crown white, forehead marked with reddish brown, supercilium reddish brown above, blackish brown below ; back pale slaty grey, darker on the upper part ; upper tail-coverts grey faintly tinged with rose ; wings blackish, secondaries margined with white ; tail black,, all but the central feathers margined and tipped with white, the outermost almost entirely white ; under parts white faintly marked with grey on the sides of the breast ; bill and feet blackish ; iris brown. Culinen 0'3, wing 2-5, tail 3'35, tarsus 0'64 inch. Hal). The Caucasus where it is resident and not uncommon. In habits it assimilates closely with its allies, and though its nest and eggs are unknown, they will doubtless be found to resemble those of A. caudata. Acredula dorsalis Madarasz, of which I examined the type in Buda-Pest, is not separable from 160 ACREDULA the present sub-species, but Acredula senex Madarasz, from the north Caucasus differs in having the head white and the back paler and greyer. Culmen O25, wing 2*35, tail 3'1, tarsus 0'55 inch. 228. SUBSP. ACREDULA SICULA. Acredula sicula, Whitaker, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club. xi. p. 52 (1901); id. Ibis. 1902, p. 54, pi. ii. $ ad. (Sicily). Eesembles A. caucasica, differing in having the wings and tail shorter, the brown on the sides of the crown paler, the white median stripe on the crown less pronounced, the feathers there being partly streaked with brown ; bill and legs blackish brown ; iris dark hazel, eyelid yellowish. Culmen 5'0, wing, 2'25, tail 2'9, tarsus 0'6 inch. Hob. Sicily. Appears to be peculiar to Sicily, where it inhabits the wooded inland districts, and breeds in the higher mountain forests. In habits and nidification it is said not to differ from A. caudata. 229. SUBSP. ACREDULA MACEDONICA. Acredula macedonica, Salvad. and Dresser, Bull. B. 0. Club, i. p. xv (1892) ; Dresser, ix. p. Ill, pi. 6(35, fig. 1. Ad. (Greece). Upper parts as in A. rosea, but the black bands on the sides of the crown are conspicuously broader, and extend to the base of the bill ; under parts white, sides of the throat faintly striated with grey, and a narrow blackish grey band passes across the breast ; the throat being also faintly marked with dark grey ; flanks washed with rose ; bill and legs black ; iris dark brown. Culmen 0'3, wing 2'4, tail 3*5, tarsus 0'6 inch. Sexes alike. Hob. Resident in Greece, and probably also in Macedonia -and Bulgaria. Respecting its habits and nidification nothing is on record. 230. TURKISH LONG-TAILED TITMOUSE. ACREDULA TEPHRONOTA. Acredula tephronola, (Giinther), Ibis. 1865, p. 95, pi. 4; Dresser, iii. p. 75, pi. 105, fig. 2 ; A. poeltzami, (Severtz.) Turk. Jevot. p. 135, pi. 8, fig. 1 ; Gadow, Cat. B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 64. Ad. (Asia Minor). Resembles A. irbii, but has a large blackish grey spot on the centre of the throat ; the white on the crown tinged with brown ; .under parts dull white, with a few indistinct stripes on the breast ; flanks ACREDULA—PARUS 161 vent and under tail-coverts washed with rose-colour ; bill and legs black ; iris light brownish red with an outer bluish white ring, eyelids orange. Culmen 0*3, wing 1*35, tail 2 -8, tarsus 071 inch. Sexes alike. Hob. Turkey, the Caucasus and Asia Minor, and as far east as Persia and Turkestan. In its habits it assimilates closely with the common Euro- pean species. It breeds in March and April, and places its nest in preference in a yew-tree. Its nest and eggs are undistinguishable from those of Acredula caudata. 231. MONGOLIAN LONG-TAILED TITMOUSE. ACREDULA CALVA. Acredula calva, Pleske, Prjevalsky's Reisen, ii. Vogel, p. 150, Taf. vii. figs. 1, 2, (1894). £ ad. (Kan-su). Resembles A . tephronota, but has a broad frontal band, the cheeks to above the eye and the ear-coverts pure white ; the crown and nape deep black with a small central patch white, sometimes black with but a faint trace of the central white patch. Culmen 0'3, wing 2 '5, tail 3'43, tarsus 0'65 inch. It approaches nearest to A. glaucogularis, of which it is a northern form, differing in having the frontal band much broader, pure white instead of ochreous, as are also the cheeks and patch on the crown, the under parts whiter and the tail much longer. Sexes alike. The young bird resembles that of A. glaucogularis (and has been described as distinct under the name A. vinacea (Verr.) but has a longer tail. Hal. Kan-su and the valley of the Chuan-che in Mongolia. It inhabits the lower portion of the forest zone, and does not range in the mountains higher than about 9,000 feet. It prefers the deciduous woods in the river valleys, and is also found in the willow and tamarisk thickets on the river banks. Its nest and eggs are as yet unknown, but Prjevalsky saw fledged young on the Tschurmyn river on the 29th April. PARUS, Linn., 1766. 232. GREAT TITMOUSE. FARUS MAJOR. Parus major, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 341 (1766) ; Naum. iv. p. 9. Taf. 94, fig. 1 ; Hewitson, i. p. 149, pi. xxxix, fig. 1 ; Gould, B. of Gt. Brit, ii. pi. 23 ; Newton, i. p. 479 ; Dresser, iii. p. 79, pi. 106 ; Gadow, Cat. B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 19 ; Tacz. F. 0. Sib. 0. p. 426 ; Saunders, p. 103 ; Lilford, ii. p. 97, pi. 44. M 162 PARUS Mdsange-charbonnier, French ; Carlonero, Quive-vive, Span. , Cinciallegra, Ital. ; Kohlmeise, German ; Koolmees, Dutch ; Musvitsmeise, Dan. ; Kjodmeise, Norweg. ; Talgmes, Swed. ; Talitiitinen, Finn. ; Oliknovennaya-Sinitchka, Jiromdka, Russ. £ ad. (England). Crown, sides of neck, throat, and a broad line down the centre of the breast glossy black ; lower nape citron, back yellowish green ; rump and upper tail-coverts slate-grey ; wings and tail black margined with slate-grey, larger wing-coverts tipped, and outer tail- feathers fnargined with white ; cheeks and ear-coverts white ; under parts citron-yellow ; bill and iris black ; legs plumbeous. Culmen 0'45, wing 2'95, tail 2*45, tarsus 07 inch. Female similar but duller. The young also duller and have the cheeks tinged with yellow. Hob. The whole of Europe from Lapland down to Algeria ; Asia Minor, Palestine east to Persia ; Siberia east to Dauria. Lively and active it appears to be continually on the move in search of food. It frequents gardens, orchards, and woods, feeding chiefly on insects and their larvae, to some extent also on seeds, and will attack and kill small and weakly birds, open the skull, and devour the brain. In the winter they collect in small family parties, and rove about the country. The nest is placed in the hole of a tree or wall, or any similar suitable place, and is usually bulky, consisting of a foundation of dry moss or grass, on which is a soft bed of hair, wool, or feathers, and the eggs, which are generally deposited in April, vary from 6 to 10 in number, and are white, spotted and blotched with red, measuring about 0*7 by 0'51. 233. SUBSP. PARUS APHRODITE. Parus aphrodite, Madarasz, Termesz. Fiisetek. 1901, p. 272. (J ad. (Cyprus). Is intermediate in appearance between Parus major and minor, differing from the latter in having the under parts yellower. Culmen 0'5, wing 2*67, tail 2'38, tarsus 0'8 inch. The female is rather yellower than the male. Hcib. The island of Cyprus, where it is resident. In habits and nidification it is said not to differ from P. major, 234. JAPANESE TITMOUSE. PARUS MINOR. Parus minor, Temm. and Schlegel, Faun. Jap. Aves. p. 70, pi. 33 (1850); Gould, B. of Asia, ii. pi. 56 ; Gadow, Cat. B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 15. PARUS 163 £ ad. (Japan). Differs from P. major by its smaller size, in having the under parts white with a creamy tinge, and on the occiput a tiny white patch between the black of the crown and the yellow on the neck. Culmen 0'48, wing 272, tail 2'38, tarsus 0'65 inch. Female similar but is rather duller. Hob. The Ussuri country in eastern Siberia, Manchuria, Mongolia, northern China, and Japan. In general habits it does not appreciably differ from P. major, .and its nest and eggs resemble those of that species, but the latter are somewhat smaller. 235. INDIAN GREY TITMOUSE. PARUS CINEREUS. Par us cinereus, Vieill. Tabl. Encycl. and Method, ii. p. 506 (1820) ; Gould, B. of Asia, ii. p. 55 ; Dresser, ix. p. 115, pi. 656, fig. 1 ; Gadow, Cat. B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 16 ; P. atriceps. Horsf. Trans. Linn. Soc. xiii. p. 160 (1822) ; Gates, F. Brit. Ind. Birds, i. p. 46. Eam-gangra, Beng. $ ad. (Germab.). Differs from P. minor in having the back and Tump slaty blue grey, the upper back very faintly tinged with apple-green ; under parts excepting the black central stripe white. Culmen 0*5, wing 2 '9, tail 2 -5, tarsus 0'8 inch. Sexes alike. The young have the upper parts tinged with yellow and the under parts with buff. Hob. Transcaspia to China, and from the Himalayas down through the Malay peninsula to the islands of the Malay Archi- pelago. In China it nests, and is said to interbreed with P. minor. In habits it resembles P. major, and like that species feeds chiefly on insects. Its call is a sharp two-note whistle fre- quently repeated. It breeds from March to June, placing its nest in the hole of a tree, bank or wall, and occasionally on the branch of a tree. The nest is constructed of moss, grass, hair, and feathers, and the eggs 5 to 6 in number, are white, blotched chiefly at the larger end with light red. 236. SUBSP. PARUS BOKHARENSIS. Parus bokharensis, Licht. in Eversm. Reise n. Buchara, p. 131 (1823) ; Gadow, Cat. B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 16 ; Dresser, ix. p. 119, pi. 666, %. 2. M 2 164 PARUS <$ ad. (Dzungaria). Differs from P. cinereus in being larger, the upper parts much paler and the sides of the neck are white, not black ; beak black ; legs plumbeous ; iris dark brown. Culmen 0*55, wing 3'0, tail 3*35, tarsus 0'85 inch. Female similar but a trifle smaller. Hob. Resident in Transcaspia, Afghanistan, and Turkestan. Frequents woods and groves, usually near water, both in the plains and mountains, and in general habits resembles Parus major, but its note is louder. It breeds in April in the holes of trees, frequently in the old nest-holes of woodpeckers. The nest is composed of fine tamarisk twigs and the wool of various animals, or of rotten wood and feathers, and the eggs resemble those of P. major. 237. COAL TITMOUSE. PARUS ATER. Parus ater, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 341 (1766) ; Naum. iv. p. 34, Taf. 94y fig. 2 ; Gould, B. of E. iii. pi. 155, fig. 1 ; Newton, i. p. 489 ; Dresser, iii. p. 87, pi. 107, fig. 3 ; Gadow, Cat. B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 40 ; Saunders, p. 105 ; Lilford, ii, p. 104, pi. 46. Mtsange noire, French : Garrapinos, Span. ; Cincia mora, Ital. ; Tannenmeise, German ; Zwarte Mees, Dutch ; Sortmeise, Dan. ; Kulmeise, Norweg. ; Svartmes, Swed. ; Mustatiitinen, Finn. ; Tchernaya-Sinitchka, Russ. ; Sosnovka, Polish. £ ad. (Sweden). Crown, sides of the neck, and throat black ; cheeks and a large muchal patch white ; upper parts clear slaty blue ; under parts- white, the flanks washed with buff ; wings and tail blackish, externally margined with grey ; median and greater wing-coverts tipped with white,, forming two alar bars ; bill black ; legs plumbeous ; iris brown. Culmen 0'4, wing 2'4, tail 2'0, tarsus 1*65 inch. Sexes alike. The young have the black portions duller, the upper parts washed with olivaceous, the nape, cheeks, and under parts yellowish. Hob. Europe from about 64° to 65° N. Lat. to the Medi- terranean ; Siberia ; Asia Minor and Central Asia to northern China and Japan ; rare in Great Britain. In its habits it is lively and active, continually on the move, flitting amongst the branches, clinging to the twigs in every position, often head downwards. Its flight is short, laboured, jerky, and rather weak, and its note is a clear, shrill che- chee, che-chee, audible at a considerable distance. Its food con- sists almost entirely of insects and their larvae worms, and PARUS 165 caterpillars, which it picks from the branches of trees or from the ground. Its nest, which is constructed of grass and moss, lined with hair, feathers, or wool, is placed in the hole of a tree or wall, or occasionally in a hole in the ground, and the eggs, 6 to 9, or even more in number, are deposited in April or May, and are white, marked, chiefly at the larger end, with dark red spots and blotches, and measure about O58 by 0'45. In eastern Asia these birds frequently have the occipital feathers slightly elongated, and have been separated (P. pekin- ensis, David), but this is by no means a constant difference. 238. SUBSP. PARUS BRITANNICUS. Parus britannicus, Sharpe and Dresser, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. (4), viii. p. 437 (1871) ; Newton, i. p. 492 ; Dresser, iii. p. 93, pi. 107, fig. 2 ; Gadow, Cat. B. Br. MUG. viii. p. 43 ; Hewitson, i. p. 155, pi. xxxix. fig. 4 ; Saunders, p. 105 ; Lilford, ii. p. 104, pi. 47. Ad. (England), Differs from P. ater in having the back olive-grey, the rump clear buff, and the flanks and under tail-coverts brownish buff Culmen 0*4, wing 2'3, tail 1*7, tarsus 0'7 inch. Hob. Great Britain. In habits, note, and nidification this bird does not differ from P. ater. 239. SUBSP. PARUS CYPRIOTES. Parus Cypriotes, Dresser, P. Z. S. 1867, p. 563 ; id. B. of E. ix. p. 123, pi. 658. Ad. (Cyprus). Kesembles P. britannicus, differing in having the nuchal patch much smaller, and the black extending much further down the throat. Culmen 0'6, wing 2'3, tail 1'9, tarsus 0'75 inch. The young bird differs in having the crown brownish black, the throat dull sooty, the white portions of the plumage washed with yellowish buff, and the flanks browner than in the adult. Hob. The island of Cyprus. Inhabits the pine trees on Cyprus at an elevation of 4,000 feet, where it was met with in small parties of five or six, and was not numerous. Its note is a feeble edition of that of P. ater, from which species it does not differ in habits. Its nest and eggs are as yet unknown. 166 PARUS 240. PERSIAN COAL TITMOUSE. PARUS PILffiONOTUS. Parus phceonotus, Blanford, Ibis, 1873, p. 88 ; Gadow, Cat. B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 44 ; Dresser, ix. p. 121, pi. 657 ; P. michailowskii, Bogdanoff, Ptits. Kavkasa, p. 87 (1889) ; Gadow, op. cit. p. 43. Buraja-GaitsMa, Kavkaskaya-Gaitschka, Russian. Ad. (Tiflis). Resembles P. britannicus, but is larger, the upper parts rather paler, the flanks warm brownish isabelline, and the centre of the abdomen pure white. Culmen 0*53, wing 2*7 tail 2'05, tarsus 0'75 inch. The young bird has the upper parts duller and darker, the white portions of the plumage tinged with buffy yellow, and the flanks darker. Hob. The Caucasus, Transcaspia, and Persia ; resident. In the summer it inhabits the mountains to an elevation of 7,000 feet, descending to the plains in winter. It frequents both conifer and deciduous groves and woods, and in general habits and note does not differ from P. ater. Its nest and eggs are as yet unknown. 241. SUBSP. PARUS RUFIPECTUS. Parus rufipectus, Severtz. Turk. Jevot. p. 134 (1873) ; Gadow. Cat. B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 44 ; Pleske, Prjevalsky's Reisen, Vogel, p. 155, Taf. ix. fig. 1 ; P. picecs, Severtz. J. f. 0. 1873, p. 346. Ad. (Turkestan). Differs from P. phceonotus in being rather smaller, in having the black extending rather further down on the back, the upper part of the back being slaty blue, and only the lower back and the rump olivaceous grey ; spots on the median wing-coverts and the under parts generally pale rufous, fading into buffy rufous on the middle of the abdomen. Culmen 0'4, wing 2*32, tail T65, tarsus 0'7 inch. Hal. Eastern Turkestan. In habits the present species does not differ from P. ater ; its nest and eggs are not known. 242. ALGERIAN COAL TITMOUSE. PARUS LEDOUCII. Parus ledoucii, Malherbe, Cat. Ois. Alg. in Mem. de la Soc. d'Hist. Nat. de la Moselle, p. 45 (1842) ; Dresser, iii. p. 85, pi. 107, fig. 1 ; Gadow, Cat. B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 44. JBou-reziza, Arabic. PARUS 167 £ ad. (Algeria). Kesembles P. ater, but the cheeks, ear-coverts, and sides of the neck are bright lemon-yellow ; the nuchal patch yellowish white ; the back greenish grey, with a tinge of olive, rather brighter on the rump, and the under parts lemon-yellow. Culmen 0'4, wing 2*5, tail 2'0, tarsus 075 inch. Hob. Algeria. It inhabits the evergreen oak woods and conifer groves, and is not uncommon. In its general habits it resembles P. ater, but its note is described as peculiar, being something between the loud bell-like note of P. major and the well-known call of P. ater. It breeds like its congeners in holes in trees, and its eggs resemble those of P. ater, but the spots are, as a rule, smaller. 243. MARSH TITMOUSE. PARUS PALUSTRIS. Parus palustris, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 341 (1766) ; Naum. iv. p. 50, Taf. 94, fig. 2 ; Hewitson, i. p. 157, pi. xl. tig. 1 ; Gould, B. of E. iii. pi. 155, fig. 2 ; id. B. of Gt. Brit. ii. pi. xxvii ; Newton, i. p. 495 ; Dresser, iii. p. 99, pts. 108, 109, figs. 1, 2 ; Gadow. Cat. B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 49 ; Saunders, p. 107 ; Lilford, ii. p. 106, pi. 46 ; P. meri- dionalisj Liljeb. Naumaimia, ii. p. 100 (1852) ; P.dresseri, Stejneger, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. ix. p. 200 (1886). Mesange nonnette, French ; Herrerillo, Span. ; Cinda-bigia, Ital. ; Sumpfmeise, German ; Zwartkopmees, Dutch ; Sumpmeise, Dan. and Norweg. ; Karrmcs, Swed. ; Ko-gara, Jap. ; Bolotnaya sinitchka, Russ. £ ad. (Sweden). Crown to beyond the occiput and upper throat deep black with a strong gloss ; upper parts greyish brown, tinged with olive, paler on lower back and rump ; wings and tail greyish brown, with paler external margins ; tail even ; sides of the head and of the neck white ; under parts dull white ; the flanks and under tail-coverts washed with pale buff ; bill blackish ; legs plumbeous ; iris brown. Culmen 0'35, wing 2'25, tail 1*85, tarsus 0'55 inch. Hob. Europe, from Scandinavia to the Mediterranean ; Asia Minor, and Asia as far east as Japan, subject, however, to slight climatic variations as below stated. In habits this Titmouse differs but little from its allies, in company with which it is often seen during its winter wander- ings. It frequents woods, especially in damp localities, gardens, orchards, hedge-rows, etc., and is less often seen in high forest trees than the Coal Titmouse. It feeds on insects of various 168 PARUS kinds, their larvae and eggs, and to some extent also on seeds. Active and restless, it is extremely sociable, and when wander- ing about in the autumn and winter, consorts freely with other species of Titmouse and Goldcrests. It is as a rule resident, not migrating in autumn, but only wandering about the country. Its call-note is a long-drawn pey, pey, and its song, if such it may be termed, sis, sis, sis. Its nest is usually placed in the hole of a tree, generally near the ground, but I have found them at considerable altitudes, sometimes in a deserted rat's hole or other hole in the ground. It is constructed of small twigs, bits of grass, moss, wool, hair, or thistle down, varying in size according to locality, and the eggs from 6 to 10 or even 12 in number are white, spotted with dull red, the spots being sometimes more numerous round the larger end, and are usually deposited in May, but two broods are sometimes reared in the season. In size they average about O63 by 0.48. Few groups have been subjected to more subdivision than the Marsh Titmice, and long articles on them have been published by Messrs. Brehm, De Selys-Longchamps, Fatio- Beaumont, Seebohm, Prazak, Dr. Kleinschmidt, and others, and I may refer my readers who may wish to study the various forms to Dr. Kleinschmidt's article (Orn. Jahrb. 1897, pp. 45-103), as it contains the latest information on the subject. He divides them into two groups, Parus meridionalis (P. palustris, auctt.) and Parus salicarius (P. borealis, auctt.), and subdivides the former into the following subspecies, viz. P. dresseri (Great Britain), P. dresseri longirostris (France and Rhineland), P. meridionalis subpalustris (Germany, except the extreme N.E. and extreme W.), P. meridionalis (S. Sweden, E. Prussia, Livonia), P. communis stagnatilis (Galicia, Sieben- burgen, Servia, Bosnia). P. communis (Swiss Alps and Austria), P. brevirostris (Irkutsk, Baikal), P. brevirostris crassirostris (Sidemi, S.E. Siberia, Ussuri, Corea), P. seebohmi (N. Japan, Yesso and Kuriles), P. hensoni (S. part of N. Japan, Yesso, Hakodadi, and S. Japan), P. spec. nov. (Peking). After a careful examination of these forms I have elected to unite all the former under P. palustris. 244. NORTHERN MARSH TITMOUSE. PARUS SALICARIUS. Parus salicarius, C. L. Brehm, Vogel Deutschl. p. 465 (1831) ; P. borealis, De Selys, Bull. Acacl. Roy. Bruxelles, 1843, p. 2 ; Dresser, iii. p. 107, pi. 109, fig. 3 ; Gadow, Cat. B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 51 ; P. alpestris, Bailly, Bull. Soc. Hist. Nat. Savoie, 1851, p. 22. PARUS 169 Talltita, Swedish. Ad. (Norway). Differs from P. palustris in having the crown plain black without gloss, the black on the nape continued further clown ; the back paler and greyer ; the secondaries margined with light grey ; the tail rounded, not even ; and the cheeks whiter. Culmen O4, wing 3*45, tail2'2, tarsus 0*65 inch. Hob. Norway, Sweden, Finland, N.W. Russia, arid the mountains of central Europe ; is said to have occurred in England. Differs but little in habits from the Marsh Titmouse, but its call note is easily distinguishable, being sharper and more elongated as if divided into two notes. It also nests usually in the forests, never by water, and constructs its nest of fine strips of bark and occasionally a few hairs and feathers. The eggs are, however, undistinguishable from those of P. palustris. Moreover, the present species makes its own nest hole in an old branch or stump, whereas P. palustris makes use of any suitable -old hole. In the article above cited Dr. Kleinschmidt subdivides the Northern Marsh Titmouse as follows, viz. Parus salicarius (Central and W. Germany, the Rhine plain between Worms and Bingen), P. salicarius murinus (Renthendorf, Germany), P. salicarius accedens (mountains of central Germany to French Switzerland at moderate altitudes), P. montanus (Alps), P. montanus assimilis (Galicia), P. borealis, Selys-Longchamps (Iceland), P. borealis colletti (W. Norway), P. palustris, Wallen- gren nee. Linn. (Sweden), P. borealis, Liljeborg (N. Russia, Archangel), P. borealis macrurus (Siberia, N. China), P. cam- tschatkensis (Kamchatka), P. spec. nov. (Japan, Hondo, Shimot- suke). Of these I have deemed it advisable only to recognise P. salicarius from Scandinavia and N. Russia, P. macrurus (s.n. P. laicalensis) and P. camtschatkensis. 245. SUBSP. PARUS BAICALENSIS. Parus baicalensis, Swinhoe, Ann. and Mag. N. H. 1871, p. 257 ; Parus leamtschaikensis (nee. Bp.), Dresser, iii. p. 119, pi. 110, Gadow, Cat. B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 51 ; P. macrura, Tacz. F. 0. Sib. 0. p. 436. Ad. (Siberia). Differs from P. borealis in having the black cap extended down to the back, the back paler and greyer, the sides of the head below the cap and a broad band bordering the cap pure white ; secondaries margined with greyish white ; tail rather longer than in P. borealis. Culmen 0'43, wing 2'52, tail 2'6, tarsus 0'68 inch. 170 PARUS Hal. Siberia, ranging west to the Petchora river. In general habits it does not differ from P. borealis, but its nest is said to resemble that of P. palustris. It nests in holes of trees, and either makes use of a suitable hole or bores one for itself. It breeds in May, and its eggs do not differ from those of its congeners. 246. SUBSP. PARUS CAMTSCHATKENSIS. Parus camtschatkemis (Bp.) Consp. Gen. Av. i. p. 230 (1850) ; Gadow, Cat. B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 51 ; (Tacz.) F. 0. Sib. 0. p. 442. Ad. (Kamchatka). Differs from P. baicalensis in having the black on the nape extending rather farther on the back, which is white tinged with sandy grey ; upper tail-coverts pure white ; wings and tail rather broadly margined with white ; under parts, below the throat and flanks, pure white. Culmen 0'4, wing 2'45, tail 2'23, tarsus 0'73 inch. Hob. Kamchatka. Does not differ in habits from P. baicalensis, of which it is a paler, northern form. I do not find any description of its nest and eggs. 247. SONGARAN MARSH TITMOUSE. PARUS SONGARUS. Parus songarus, Severtz. Turk. Jevot. p. 134 (1873) ; Gadow, Cat. B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 48 (part.) ; Pleske, Prjevalsky's Reisen, Vogel, ii. p.157, Taf. viii. fig. 1. Ad. (Turkestan). Crown and nape black ; upper parts generally pale sandy or buffy brown ; wings and tail brown, with narrow pale margins ; lores, cheeks, and ear-coverts white ; chin'and throat black, the feathers nar- rowly tipped with white ; rest of the under parts pale whitish isabelline, the sides of breast flanks and under tail-coverts washed with warm ochraceous ; bill blackish ; legs plumbeous ; iris dark brown. Culmen 0'55, wing 2 '7,, tail 2-38, tarsus 0'75 inch. Hob. Turkestan, east to the Sairam-nor and Issyk-kul. Frequents the conifer woods, and in general habits does not differ from the other Marsh Titmice. 248. MONGOLIAN MARSH TITMOUSE. PARUS AFFINIS. Parus affinis (Prjev.), Mongol, i Strana Tangut, ii. p. 52 (1876) ; Berez. and Bianchi, Ptitz Gan-su, p. Ill ; Pleske, Prjevalsky's Reisen, ii. Vogel, p. 158, Taf. viii. fig. 2. PARUS 171 Ad. (Kan-su). Differs from P. songarus in having the crown black with a coffee-brown tinge, not deep black, the throat patch also brownish black, the upper parts paler, more isabelline in tinge, and the under parts rather whiter. Culmen 0'47, wing 2*62, tail 2-48, tarsus 0'7 inch. Hob. The Njan-shan Mountains, Alaschan, and Kan-su. Inhabits the conifer and non-evergreen woods, but does not range so high as the alpine bush region. In April they were observed pairing, and early in June the young had left the nests. I do not, however, find any description published of the nest and eggs. 249. SUBSP. PARUS HYPERMEL^NA Parus hypermelcena, Berez. and Bianchi, Ptitz. Gan-su, p. 112, pi. ii. fig. 2 (1891). Ad. Crown and nape glossy black, this colour extending on to the back, which is olive-brown, and the rump also, but tinged with sandy ; sides of the head and ear-coverts white ; wings and tail blackish grey, externally margined with olivaceous ; chin and throat dull black ; rest of under parts white, the sides of the breast olive-brown, the flanks sandy brown ; bill blackish ; legs plumbeous ; iris dark brown. Culmen 0'36, wing 2*4, tail 1'83, tarsus 0'55 inch. Tail nearly even. It differs from P. affinis in being smaller, having a square and not a rounded tail, and in having the crown glossy black, and from P. palustris by having more black on the throat (about as much as P. ater) in having the black extended further on the back, and in the dark colour of the sides of the breast and flanks. Hal. Shen-si. Only two specimens were obtained at Shen-si on the borders of Kan-su and Szechuen, and nothing is known of its habits or nidification. 250. SOMBRE TITMOUSE. PARUS LUOUBRIS. Parus lugubris, Nattercr fide Temm. Man. d'Orn. p. 293 (1820) ; Gould, B. of E. iii. pi. 151, fig. 1 ; Dresser, iii.p. 121, pi. Ill ; Gadow, Cat. B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 47. Trauermeise, German ; Cincia dalmatina, Ital. £ ad. (Smyrna). Crown, nape, and throat sooty black ; upper parts ashy brown ; spurious wing and primary coverts blackish brown with greyish white margins ; rest of the wings and tail greyish brown, externally margined with whitish ; cheeks, ear-coverts, and sides of neck pure white ; 172 PARUS rest of under parts dull white, the sides of breast and flanks washed with pale ashy brown ; bill blackish ; legs plumbeous ; iris dark brown. Cul- men 0*5, wing 2'8, tail 2'5, tarsus 0'75. Sexes alike. Hal. Greece, Hungary, Turkey, and Asia Minor east to Persia. In habits it resembles the other Titmice, does not, however, collect in small flocks in winter, but lives in pairs. Its call- note is also said to differ from that of the other Titmice. It Inhabits the plains, but is found tolerably high up in the mountains. It nests in holes of trees either high above or near the ground, and is also said to breed in holes in the rocks. It does not deposit so many eggs as the other Titmice, but never more than 7 or 8. These resemble those of Parus major, and measure about 071 by 0'55 inch. 251. SIBERIAN TITMOUSE. PARUS CINCTUS. Parus cincius, Bodd. Tabl. PI. Enl. p. 46 (17-83) ; Dresser, iii. p. 125, pi. 112 ; Gadow, Cat. B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 35 ; P. s'ibiricus, Gmel. Syst. Nat. i. p. 1013 (1788) ; Gould, B. of E. iii. pi. 151, fig. 2. Lappsk Mes, Swed. ; Lapin-tiainen, Pistitiainen, Finn. ; Kada- pifa, Lapp. £ ad. (Lapland). Crown and nape dusky brown, the throat blackish ; upper parts pale golden brown, slightly washed with rufous ; wings and tail blackish, the former externally with narrow whitish margins, the tail washed with grey, the outer feather edged and tipped with dull white ; feathers on the lower throat narrowly margined with white ; chest and centre of abdomen white ; rest of under parts pale rusty rufous ; bill blackish ; legs plumbeous ; iris reddish brown. Culmen 0'4, wing 2'8, tail 2 -8, tarsus 0'7 inch. Sexes alike. Hal. Northern Scandinavia to the margin of the fir belt; north Russia east to the Yenesei. In its general habits it is active and lively, restless and always on the move, hunting after its insect food. It affects pine-forests, being less seldom seen in non-evergreen growth, and is chiefly to be seen amongst scattered large trees or their young growth. It breeds in June, either excavating its own nest-hole in a dead tree or making use of a deserted Wood- pecker's hole. The nest is constructed of moss, wool, hair, and feathers, and the eggs from 6 to 9 in number are white, spotted PARUS 173" with pale red underlying shell blotches and dark red surface markings, and measure about 0*65 by 0*52. Its general call-note resembles than that of P. borealis, but is louder and deeper in tone. 252. SUBSP. PARUS OBTECTUS. Parus obtectus, Cabanis, J. f. O. 1871, p. 237 ; Gadow, Cat. B. Br. Mus, viii. p. 35 ; Turner, Nat. Hist. Alaska, p. 182, pi. x. ; P. grisescens, Sharpe and Dresser, B. of E. iii. p. 129 (1871). Ad. (E. Siberia). Differs from P. cinctus in having the crown and upper parts paler and greyer, the back with scarcely any trace of rufous ; under parts white, the flanks faintly washed with warm buff. Culrnen 0*48, wing 2-75, tail 277, tarsus 0*62 inch. Hob. Siberia, ranging west as far as the valley of the- Yenesei where it meets P. cinctus ; occasional in Alaska. This eastern form of P. cinctus does not differ in habits from that species. Godlevski found it numerous on passage in October in the southern Baikal district, consorting with P. baicalensis, from which it was easily distinguishable by its harsh call-note. Judging from Turner's plate the Alaskan bird has the flanks a little more rufescent than the Siberian bird. It has been found breeding in Alaska, and its nest and eggs were taken, but no description of them appears to have been published. 253. WHITE-BROWED TITMOUSE. PARUS SUPERCILIOSUS. Parus superciliosus (Prjev.) Mongol i Strana Tangnt, ii. p. 53 (1876) ;, Pleske, Prjevalsky's Keisen, ii. Vbgel, p. 160. $ ad. (Kan-su). Crown and throat deep black ; upper parts ashy blue- grey, paler towards the nape ; wings and tail blackish, externally margined with ashy grey ; sides of head and neck below the eye and under parts pale rufous, paler on the middle of the abdomen ; a distinct pure white super- ciliary stripe from the base of the bill over the eye ; bill blackish ; legs blackish plumbeous; iris dark brown. Culmen 0'4, wing 2-55, tail 2 '8>, tarsus 0'85 inch. Sexes alike. Hob. Mongolia (Kansu and the upper Chuanche). Inhabits the bushes in the alpine zone of the mountains, and is seen in small flocks, often in company with Leptopcecile in the- rhododendron and caragana thickets. Its call-note is a loud whistle reminding one of that of Ehopophilus. Mr. Grum- 174 PARUS Grzimailo found a nest containing five eggs near Sining, which was placed in a mouse-hole and constructed of moss and grass and lined with camels' wool and mouse hair. The eggs were white, spotted all over the surface of the shell with reddish yellow. The nearest ally to this Titmouse is Parus montanus Gambel, which inhabits the Rocky Mountains and western North America. 254. RED-BELLIED TITMOUSE. PARUS DAVIDI. Parus davidi (Berez. and Bianchi), Ptitz. Gan-su p. '113, pi. ii. fig. 4 (1891). Ad. (Kan-su). Crown and nape deep black, rather dull ; below the black nape a rufous band crosses the back, joining the red on the breast ; back dark olive-brown with a grey tinge ; tail and wings like the back, €xternally margined with dull ochraceous ; sides of the neck and head below the eye white ; chin and throat dull black ; rest of the under part chestnut-red, the centre of the abdomen paler ; 4th and 5th quills longest, the 6th nearly equal, the 2nd equal to the 9th or 10th, the 1st about 21mm. shorter ; beak black ; legs plumbeous ; iris dark brown. Culmen 0'37, wing 2*55, tail 2'0, tarsus 0'65 inch. Sexes alike ; the young differ only in having the sides of the head yellowish. Hob. S.W. Kansu. Berezovski only met with it in the mountains of S.W. Kansu where it was rare, occurring in small parties of 5 to 10 individuals on the edge of the forest, in valleys at an altitude of 7,000 to 9,000 feet. Its note resembles that of P. affinis, but is harsher and more discordant, and in its general habits it does not differ from the Marsh Titmouse. Nothing is known respecting its nidification. 255. VARIED TITMOUSE. PARUS VARIUS. Parus varius, Temni. and Schl. Faun. Jap. Aves, p. 71, pi. 35 (1850) ; Gadow, Cat. B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 37 ; Seebohm, B. Jap. Emp. p. 85. Yama-gara, Jap. £ ad. (Japan). A broad frontal band continued down the sides of the neck white ; crown, hind neck, chin, and throat deep black ; an irregular white patch on the occiput and nape ; upper part of back chestnut-red, the remainder of back, wings, and tail bluish grey ; an irregular band below .the black throat creamy white ; breast, abdomen, and flanks chestnut-red j PARUS 175 paler on the middle of the abdomen and under tail-coverts ; bill brownish horn; legs plumbeous; iris brown. Culmen 0'51, wing 3'1, tail 2-22, tarsus 0-77 inch. Female similar but rather duller on the upper parts. i. Japan (Yesso and Hondo) and Corea. In habits it is said to resemble the other Titmice, and like them frequents conifer groves, but is much less sociable, and is generally seen alone or in pairs. Its note is described as re- sembling that of Picus minor. It nests in holes in trees or in stone walls, in April or May, depositing 7 to 8 eggs which are white, faintly marked, chiefly at the larger end, with pale red, and measure about 0'69 by 0'55. In the Seven Islands, south of Japan, another form, Panes Owstoni Ijima (Dobuts. Zass. No. 62, December 1893) occurs, which has a larger and stouter bill, and the white portions of the plumage are replaced by dark rufous. 256. AZURE TITMOUSE. PARUS CYANUS. Farm cyanus, Pall. Nov. Comm. Ac. Sci. Imp. Petrop. xiv. p. 588, Tab. 13, fig. 1 (1770) ; Naum. iv. p. 76, Taf. 95, fig. 3 ; Gould, B. of E. iii. pi. 153 ; Dresser, iii. p. 143, pi. 114 ; Gadow, Cat. B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 10 ; (Tacz.) F. 0. Sib. 0. p. 432. Lasurmeise, German ; Azurmes, Swed. ; Bielaya-Lazorevka, Russ. <$ ad. (S. Ural). Crown, lores, and a ring round the eye white, a blackish blue stripe passing through the eye ; back bluish grey ; upper tail-coverts blue, tipped with white ; wings greyish brown, the outer webs of feathers blue and tipped with white ; a broad white alar bar ; tail blue, the outer feathers and tips white ; under parts white, with a small bluish black patch in the middle of the breast ; bill blackish ; legs plumbeous; iris blackish brown. Culmen 0'4, wing 2'7, tail 2'7, tarsus 0-65 inch. Hob. Russia, east through Siberia to the sea of Japan, and south to Turkestan. In Europe it has strayed as far west as Scandinavia, Germany, and Austria. Frequents as a rule damp places, willow thickets on the borders of streams, and does not inhabit forests. Its call-note is very varied ; when on the wing it utters a loud but fine tirr, tirr, when perched a loud and agreeable tscherpink, tsckerpink, tscherpink, very quickly in succession, and then a note like the pink, pink, tschsch, of the Coal Titmouse. Its flight consists of 176 PARUS a succession of bow-shaped lines, and somewhat resembles that of the Wagtail, and is more powerful than that of P. major. Like its allies it is very active and restless, and feeds chiefly on insects of various kinds and their larvae. It breeds in May and places its nest in the hole of a tree, a willow being most frequently selected, and deposits 10 to 11 eggs. The nest is constructed of moss and hair, and the eggs are white, spotted with dull red, most nearly resembling those of P. cceruleus, and measure about 0*65 by 0'45. Severtzoff separated subspecifically the Tian-shan bird under the name of Parus cyanus tianschanicus (J. f. O. 1873, p. 347), but I agree with Mr. Pleske that it cannot stand even as a sub- species. 257. SUBSP. PARUS BEREZOVSKII. Parus berezovsJcii, Pleske, Prjevalsky's Keisen, ii. Vogel, p. 163, Taf. vii. figs. 3, 4 (1894). Ad. Differs from P. flavipectus in having the crown washed with sooty grey, the stripe on the side of the head restricted to the front of the eye, the band on the nape small or wanting, and the spot on the abdomen wanting ; bill dark horn, lighter on the edges ; legs plumbeous ; iris brown. Culmen 0'37, wing 2'5, tail 2'35, tarsus 0'7 inch. Hob. Upper Chuanche in Mongolia. All we know about this species is that Col. Prjevalsky met with it on the upper Chuanche, where it inhabits thickets to an altitude of 8,000 feet. On the 23rd May he saw young birds which had left the nest. 258. YELLOW-BREASTED TITMOUSE. PARUS FLAVIPECTUS. Parus flavipectus, Severtz. Turk. Jevot. p. 133, pi. viii. fig. 7 ; Gadow, Cat. B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 11. £ (Turkestan). Resembles P. cyanus, but has the crown and sides of the head washed with bluish grey, and the lower part of the neck and breast are rich sulphur-yellow. Culmen -0'4, wing 2'65, tail 2 '42, tarsus 0-65 inch. Hob. Turkestan. In habits this species is said not to differ from P. cyanus, and its eggs and nest are as yet unknown. PARUS 177 259. SUBSP. PARUS PLESKII. Parus pleskii, (Cabanis), J. f. B. 1877, p. 213, Taf. 3, fig. 1 ; Gadow, Cat. B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 12 ; Dresser, ix. p. 125, pi. 659. £ ad. (St. Petersburg). Crown azure-blue surrounded by a white stripe ; back and rump greyish blue ; rest of the head, neck, and the upper parts, otherwise as in P. cceruleus except that the secondaries and wing-coverts are more broadly tipped with white, and the outer web of the outer tail-feather is white ; under parts white ; the breast and flanks faintly tinged with primrose ; on the middle of the breast a dark blue line ; beak horn-blue paler at the base ; legs plumbeous ; iris dark brown. Oilmen 0'4, wing 2'6, tail 2-4, tarsus 0'68 inch. Hob. North Russia west of the Ural, and has occurred once in Belgium. This species is intermediate between P. cyanus and P. ccernleus, and is said to interbreed with both species. In its habits it does not differ from them, and though its nest and eggs are unknown they will probably be found to resemble those of P. cceruleus. 260. THE BLUE TITMOUSE, PARUS CCERULEUS. Parus cceruleus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 341 (1766) ; Naum. iv. p. 62, Taf. 95, figs. 1,2; Gould, B. of E. ii. pi. 154 ; id. B. of Gt. Brit. ii. pl.«24 ; Hewitson, i. p. 151, pi. xxxix. fig. 2 ; Newton, i. p. 483 ; Dresser, iii. p. 131, pi. 113, figs. 1, [2 ; Gadow, Cat. B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 12 ; Saunders, p. 109 ; Lilford, ii. p.. 102, pi. 45. Mesange bleue, French ; Ccdovem pequeno, Portug. ; Herrerillo, Span. ; Cinciarella, Ital. ; Blaumeise, German ; Pimpel, Dutch ; Jllaameise, Dan. and Norweg. ; JBldmes, Swed. ; Sinitiitinen, Finn. ; Sinitza-LazorevJca, Russ. ; Sikoramodra, Polish. $ ad. (Holland). Crown, back of neck, and a band encircling the neck, chin and a line to the band bright blue ; forehead, a line encircling the crown and cheeks white ; a blue-black line from the lores through the eye to the nape ; back yellowish green the rump yellower ; wings and tail blackish margined with blue, the coverts and inner secondaries tipped, with white ; under parts lemon-yellow, a dark bluish line along the middle of the abdomen ; bill blackish horn ; legs plumbeous ; iris dark brown. Culmen •0'4, wing 2-6, tail 2*1, tarsus 0'7 inch. Female similar. N 178 PARUS Hob. Europe from 63° N. Lat. to the Mediterranean and east to Persia. Active, restless, and cheerful, this is one of our best known birds, especially as it so frequently occurs in gardens and near inhabited dwellings. After the young are fledged they collect in small flocks, together with other Titmice and Goldcrests, and wander about during the winter in search of food, but in some parts they migrate regularly. They feed chiefly on insects and their larvae, but to some slight extent on berries, seeds, and fruit. Few birds are more useful in ridding gardens of insect pests. They are also very partial to picking an old bone if placed out for that purpose. The nest is constructed of moss, wool, and feathers, and is placed in any convenient hole in a tree or wall, or in an old pot or box if allowed to make use of such. The eggs, from 7 to 12, or 14, or occasionally even more, are deposited in April or May, and are white spotted with pale red, averaging in size about 0'57 by 0'45. Mr, Blanford separated the Persian bird, naming it P. persicus (Ibis, 1873, p. 89, E. Pers. pi. xvi., fig. 2), but after a careful comparison I cannot agree that it is separable from the European form. i 261. ALGERIAN BLUE TITMOUSE. PARU8 ULTRAMARINUS. Parus ultramarinus, Bp. Kev. et Mag. de Zool. 1841, p. 146 ; Dresser,, ix. p. 128 ; P. teneriffce, Dresser, iii. p. 139, pi. 113, fig. 3 (nee. Less.) ; Gadow, Cat. B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 14, (nee. Less.). Hou-reziza, Arabic. £ ad. (Algeria). Differs from P. cceruleus in having the upper part& clear slaty blue, the crown blue-black, and all the blue portions of the plumage very much darker in tone ; larger wing-coverts and secondaries tipped with white. Culmen 0'4, wing 2*45, tail, 2'0, tarsus 0'65 inch. Sexes similar. Hob. North-west Africa and the island of Fuerteventura. In habits it resembles P. cceruleus, and affects woods, orchards, and gardens, feeding on insects and their larvae, small berries, and seeds. Its note is, however, said to differ from that of P. cceruleus. It nests in holes of trees, making a nest of any soft substances it can collect together, and deposits 6 to 8 eggs, which resemble those of P. cceruleus, but are as a rule more strongly blotched with red. PARUS 179 262. SUBSP. PARUS TENERIFF.E. Parus teneriffw, Lesson, Traite d'Orn. i. p. 456 (1831) ; Dresser, ix. p. 127, pi. 660, fig. 2 ; P. vwlaceus, Bolle J.f.O. 1854, p. 455. $ ad. (Teneriffe). Eesembles P. ultramarinus but is rather larger, brighter in tone of colour, and lacks the white margins to the secondaries and wing-coverts, the wing being plain blue. Culmen 0*45, wing 2'5, tail, 2' 15, tarsus 0'8 inch. Sexes similar. Hob. Grand Canary, Teneriffe, and Gomera in the Canaries. Frequents both tree- and bush-growth from the coast to an altitude of 4,300 feet, and is most commonly seen in the fruit gardens. In habits it does not differ from P. cceruleus, and like that species places its nest in the hole of a tree or wall or in any convenient nook or cranny, and deposits in June 4 to 5 eggs, which resemble those of P. cceruleiis, but are a trifle larger and more boldly blotched. 263. SUBSP. PARUS PALMENSIS. Pants palmensis, Meade-Waldo, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 6, iii. p. 490 (1889). id. Ibis. 1889, pi. xvi ; Dresser, ix. p. 129, pi. 660, fig. 1. Ad. (Palma). Kesembles P. ultramarinus but has the entire abdomen, excepting the sides, pure white ; secondaries and wing-coverts tipped with white. Culmen 0'45, wing 2*5, tail 2'3, tarsus 0'75 inch. Hal. Island of Palma, Canaries. Frequents the pine-woods and laurel-thickets up to an elevation of 5,000 feet, and does not frequent gardens or chestnut-groves. Like its congeners it breeds in holes of trees, but much earlier, late in March or early in April, and deposits only 3 or 4 eggs, which are white spotted and blotched with red. 264. SUBSP. PARUS OMBRIOSUS. Parus ombriosus, Meade-Waldo, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 6. v. p. 103 (1890) ; id. Ibis, 1890, pi. xiii ; Dresser, ix. p. 131, pi. 661. Ad. Kesembles P. ultramarinus but has only a band across the forepart of the back slate-blue, the rest of the back and rump being green, darker in tint than in P. cceruleus ; primaries narrowly bordered, and secondaries tipped with white. Culmen 0'4, wing 2-5, tail 2 -25, tarsus 075 inch. N 2 180 LOPHOPHANES Hal. Island of Hierro, Canaries. Frequents the pine-woods, and is occasionally found in the tree heaths and laurels, but in general habits does not differ from P. teneriffce. Its nest and eggs are as yet unknown. LOPHOPHANES, Kaup, 1829. 265. CRESTED TITMOUSE. LOPHOPHANES CRISTATUS. Lophophanes' cri status, (Linn.) Fauna, Suecica. p. 97 (1761) ; (Naum.) iv. p. 42. Taf. 94, fig. 3 ; (Hewitson), i. p. 154, pi. xxxix. fig. 3 ; (Gould), B. of E. ii. pi. 156 ; (id.) B. of Gt. Brit. ii. pi. 26 ; (Newton), i. p. 499 ; Dresser, iii. p. 151, pi. 115 ; (Gadow), Cat, B. Br. Mus. viii. p. 27 ; (Saunders), p. Ill ; (Lilford), ii. p. 107, pi. 49. Mesange huppte, French ; Capuchino, Span. ; Cincia con ciuffo, Ital. ; Haubenmeise, German ; Tofsmeise, Dan. and Norweg. : Tofsmes, Swed. ; Toyhlotiiainen, Finn.