6o ENGLISH BIRD LIFE 



rare bir'd. It is well known in various parts of 

 Europe, and is conspicuously common in Palestine. 

 It has the distinction of being one of the few 

 members of the Sylviid^e which are winter visitants 

 to Great Britain. 



The Rufous Warbler can only by courtesy be 

 treated as a British bird, for the one or two examples 

 which have been identified were merely wind-driven 

 waifs from the South. This warbler is, with the 

 exception of the Great Reed Warbler, the largest 

 of its race, measuring about seven inches, and is 

 described as resembling a pale-coloured Nightin- 

 gale, with white tips and black spots on a broad 

 fan-shaped tail. 



The Icterine Warbler, although it is common on 

 the Continent almost within sight of our shores, 

 has only been found in England on about eight 

 occasions. It resembles the Willow Wren in 

 appearance, but differs from it entirely in the 

 manner of nest-building. In place of the dome- 

 shaped nest secreted in the tangled herbage of the 

 shrubbery or in the recesses of a mossy bank, the 

 Icterine Warbler's nest is open and cup-shaped, and 

 is placed in the branches of a tree at some distance 

 from the ground. The song of this species is 

 especially loud and melodious. 



The Orphean Warbler in appearance has much 

 in common with the Blackcap, the upper part of the 

 head being of a deep black hue. It is, however, 

 larger in size. The title Orphean w^ould appear to 

 be a misnomer, for its song is described as slight 

 and by no means striking. Its distribution on the 



