1. SYLVIA. 13 



Sylvia melandiros, Linderm. fide Kr'iiper, Journ. Orn. 1861, p. 279. 

 Sylvia (Curruca) riippellii (7e/w/rt.),i^/-i<i>cA, Voy.Eur. p. 172 (1870). 



la the adult male in sprinc/ plumage the general colour of the 

 upper parts is slate-grey ; head nearly black ; wings and 'wing- 

 coverts dark slate-grey, the innermost secondaries edged with huffish 

 brown ; tail dark slate-grey, the outside feathers, including their 

 shafts, white, with a dark margin on the basal half of the inside 

 web, becoming broader towards the base ; a web of white extends 

 from the tip for nearly an inch on the second outside tail-feathers, 

 and a smaller wedge of white extends for a quarter of an inch on 

 the third feather of the tail on each side ; chin and throat black, a 

 narrow white line from the gape towards the shoulder separates the 

 black of the head from the black of the throat ; a patch on the edge 

 of the wing below the carpal joint and the whole of the underparts 

 white, shading into buff on the breast and under tail-coverts, and 

 into pale slate-grey on the flanks and thighs ; axillaries and under 

 wing-coverts greyish white, the latter with dark centres ; inner 

 margin of quills pale brown. Bill of typical shape, very dark brown, 

 the lower mandible pale at the base ; rictal bristles nearly obsolete. 

 Wing rather pointed, the second, third, fourth, and fifth primaries 

 nearly equal, the third being slightly the longest ; bastard primary 

 very minute, seldom extending as far as the primary-coverts. Tail 

 shorter than the wing, the outside feathers about 0-2.5 inch shorter 

 than the longest. Legs, feet, and claws pale brown. Length of 

 wing 2-85 to 2-G inches, tail 2-55 to 2-35, culmen 0-6 to U-oo, 

 tarsus 0-82. 



The female differs from the male in having the head of the same 

 colour as the back, with dark centres to the feathers, and the throat 

 greyish white. After the autumn moult the black feathers of the 

 male on the throat have pale margins. Birds of the year of both 

 sexes resemble the female, but have the upper parts browner, and 

 the breast and flanks suffused with pale brown. 



EiippeU's "Warbler has a very limited range. It breeds in Algiers, 

 Greece, Asia Miuor, and Palestine, passes through Egypt on migra- 

 tion, and probably winters in Xubia and Abyssinia. 



a, h. $ ad. sk. Smvraa, June 21, July 16 E. B. Sharpe, Esq. 



{Dr. Krilper). 

 c. (5ad.sk. Smyrna, April 18 {Dr. E. B. Sharpe, Esq. 



Kriipe?-). 

 el. J imm. sk. Smyrna, Aug. 12 {Dr. E. B. Sharpe, Esq. 



Kriiper). 



e. (S ad. sk. Smyrna, April 2 ( Dr. F. Godman and 0. 



Kriijier). Sah-in, Esqrs. [P.]. 



f. Juv. sk. Smyrna, Julv 16 {Dr. F. Godman and 0. 



Kriiper). ' Salviu, Esqrs. [P.]. 



g. (S ad. sk. Taurus mountains, March F. Godman and O. 



25 (C. G. Danford). Salvin, Esqrs. [P.]. 



h. J in first spring Egypt, April 8 {Capt. E. B. Shai-pe, Esq. 



moult, sk. SheUei/). 



i. (S ad. sk. Isubia, May (Stockholm R. B. Sharpe, Esq. 



Museum). 



