THE BIRDS OF HELIGOLAND 291 



any doubt. Seebohm found the nest on the Jenesei, withm the 

 limits of the Polar circle, and von Middendorft' met with it 

 numerously during the autumn migration to the north of the sea of 

 Ochotsk ; thus the breeding area of the species appears to extend 

 from the Lower Jenesei into the most eastern parts of Asia. 



Sewertzoff, however, states that this Warbler breeds also in 

 Turkestan, and there at heights of from seven to ten thousand feet ; 

 and Brooks believes that he has discovered its eggs in the mountains 

 of Kashmir, eight thousand feet above sea level — in both cases, 

 accordingly, at elevations possessed of a summer climate rather 

 similar to that of northern Asia. Nothing further has been re- 

 ported as regards Sewertzoffs statement ; but in respect to that of 

 Brooks, Seebohm says that the eggs collected by him in Kashmir 

 are not those of S. supercUiosa, but belong to another hitherto 

 unknown species. What species he is referring to does not appear 

 from his notes; it may probably be S. hmnei, which certainly 

 comes very close to S. supercUiosa, and which, in the absence of 

 examples of both for close and exact comparison, might easily be 

 taken for birds of the latter species in faded summer plumage. 



Unfortunately I have not an eggof <S'. supercUiosa at my disposal. 

 One of the eggs collected by Brooks in Kashmir, which is in my 

 possession, is "o.t in. (14 ontn.) long, •43 in. (11 mm.) broad, of a 

 pure white ground colour, and sprinkled with fairly densely- 

 disposed brownish red spots ; the colour of the markings is not so 

 light as that of S. trochilus, nor so dark as that of S. rufa. Leaving 

 size out of consideration, it seems to resemble most nearly a dark- 

 spotted Titmouse's eg^. Seebohm, in regard to his eggs collected 

 at the Jenesei, says that they resemble in a high degree those of 

 S. hicmei. 



Sylvia humei is of the same size as S. supercUiosa, but deviates 

 considerably from the latter in the coloration of the jDlumage. 

 In the whole of its dress we nowhere meet with the pure and 

 beautiful sulphur yellow which so markedly distinguishes that of 

 the latter species. The eye-streak is dull olive yellow, and the 

 lower of the alar bands is of the same colour, but often even 

 only of a whitish olive grey (iveisslich olivengrau) ; in the upper 

 band the olive grey colour is so dull that in some examjjles this 

 marking almost ceases to be distinguishable. There is a consider- 

 ably greater difierence in the coloration of the two species than 

 there is between <S'. trochilus and S.rufa; S. humei approaching 

 the latter, while S. supercUiosa bears a stronger resemblance to 

 (S. sibilatrix. 



Though, apart from colour, the markings of both species must 

 be regarded as similar, they are most distinctly cUfi'erentiated by 



