54 SUBALPINE WARBLER. 



Lord Lilford took the nest south of Seville early in May. On the 

 African side of the IMediterranean this species is found from 

 Tangier to Egypt : it is local in Italy, chiefly haunting the western 

 slope of the Apennines ; common in Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, and 

 other islands ; abundant in Greece and the Archipelago ; and 

 extends to Asia Minor and Palestine. Its winter quarters seem to 

 be in Northern Arabia, Kordofan and Senegambia ; but its reported 

 occurrence in the Canaries seems to be erroneous, and due to a 

 confusion with the Spectacled Warbler, to which allusion has been 

 made on p. 42. 



The nest, of dry grass with a finer lining, is placed in a low bush ; 

 the 4-5 eggs vary from greenish-white with brown spots, to reddish- 

 white with violet-brown spots and streaks ; measurements "55 by 

 •48 in. In Savoy only one brood is reared in the season, but I 

 think that further south the bird is double-brooded, many nests 

 being found in June. The male ceases to sing in July, when 

 moulting begins. The bird is very active, working its way through 

 low bushes like a mouse, then suddenly appearing and as rapidly 

 dropping into cover again. 



The mature male has a red ring round the eye ; crown, ear- 

 coverts and back dull grey ; wings browner ; tail-feathers greyish- 

 brown, with a good deal of white at the tips of the outer pair ; a 

 broad white moustache-like streak stretching from the base of the 

 bill backward ; throat and breast warm chestnut-red, flanks paler^ 

 centre of belly whitish. Less mature birds have paler underparts. 

 Length 47 in., wing 2 '3 in. The female is less grey and more 

 inclined to brown on the upper parts ; there is little sign of ruddy 

 colour on the throat, and the flanks are nearly buff. The young 

 birds resemble the female at first, but the males begin to show red 

 on the throat before emiairatino;. 



