106 BIRDS OF EUROPE AND NORTH AFRICA 



(^ Above grey, tinged brown, scapulars, secondaries, rump, 

 and upper tail 'coverts with faint dark bars and white tips ; outer 

 rectrices bordered white both webs, the others, except central, 

 white on inner web only ; beneath white with dark scale-like bars ; 

 1st primary about half the length of primary coverts ; 2nd equal 

 to 3rd. Bill dark horn, yellowish at base below. Legs and feet 

 brownish grey. Wing (^ 84-90, $ 83-87. Tarsus 24-25. Bill 

 lo-ii. 9 browner above and less barred below. Young: no 

 bars except on under tail coverts ; below buff tinged especially 

 on flanks, under tail coverts and abdomen. 



Breeds. — Denmark, S. Norway and Sweden, Germany (local 

 and rarely west of Rhine), south to N. Italy, Balkans and Rumania, 

 east through Baltic Provinces and C. and S. Russia to S. Ural. 

 Migrates ; occurs on passage Britain, Holland, France, Switzer- 

 land, S. Italy, Greece. Winters in E. Africa. 



S. nisoria merzbacheri Schalow\ Somewhat paler grey above. 

 Wing 86-93.5 (H.). 



A W. Siberian form whose range extends to Caucasus. 



Sylvia hortensis hortensis (Gmelin). Orphean 

 Warbler. Fr. Fauvette orphee ; Ge?: Sangergrasmiicke ; //a/. 

 Bigia grossa. 



^ Above grey brown, crown, nape, and ear coverts sooty 

 black ; throat and underparts white with a pinkish buff tinge, 

 deepest and browner on flanks and under tail coverts ; outer pair 

 tail feathers white except a small part of inner web. Bill black 

 above, bluish below with black tip. Legs and feet bluish grey. 

 Wing ^ ? 74-83. Tarsus 22-24. Bill 10-12. 9 Crown browner, 

 less contrasted, ear coverts always dark. 



Breeds. — C. and S. France, Luxemburg, S. Switzerland, Italy 

 (chiefly in N.), Balearic Islands, Spain, Portugal, N. Africa 

 (Morocco to Tripoli). Migrates ; not common on passage Sicily 

 and rare in Malta. Winters Saharan oases to W. tropical Africa. 

 Accidental Britain, Heligoland, pjelgium, and Tyrol. 



S. hortensis crassirostris Cretzschmar. Bill longer and more 

 massive, 12-13 ; pinkish tinge below more rusty. 



Breeds. — S.E. Europe ; Dalmatia, Montenegro, Greece, S. 

 Russia ; and Asia Minor into S.W. Asia. Occurs on passage 

 Egypt. Winters India, S. Arabia, and N.E. Africa. 



