1. SYLVIA. 15 



Sylvia crassirostris, Crefzschm. Riipp. Atlas, p. 49, pi. 33. fig. a 

 (18i>6) ; Heuglin, Oni. N.O.-Afr. i. p. 312 (1869); Gray, Hand-l. 

 B. i. p. 2U. 110. 3023 (18G9). 



Carruca crassirostris {Cre/zschm.), Bp. Consp. i. p. 294 (1850). 



Curruca musica, Brelim, Nauin. 1855, p. 283. 



Curriica caniceps, A. Brehm,fide. L. Brehm, Journ. Orn. 1856. p. 455. 



Curruca vidali, A. Brehm, Jide L. Brehm, torn. cit. p. 455 (1856). 



Curruca orphea griseocapilla, A. E. Brehm, Allg. deutsch. naturh, 

 Ztit. 1857, p. 464. 



Sylvia (Curruca) orphea {Temm.), Fritsch, Vog. Eur. p. 171 (1870). 



Iq the adult m'lle in sprinj plumage the general colour of the 

 upper parts is dull slate-grey ; head to below the eyes sooty black ; 

 wings and tail brown ; innermost secondaries shading into pale 

 brown on the margins; outside tail-feather on each side white on 

 the outside web, at the apex, and for some distance on the inside 

 web near the shaft, the dark brown of which is thus made conspi- 

 cuous ; the next two feathers on each side have wedge-shaped white 

 spots at the apex. T7nderparts white, shading into pale greyish 

 brown on the sides of the breast, flanks, thighs, axiUaries, under 

 wing-coverts, the centres of the under taU-coverts, and the inner 

 margin of the tjuills. BiU of typical shape, dark brown, the lower 

 mandible pale at the base ; rictal bristles few and small. Wing 

 with the third primary the longest, and the second about equal to 

 the tifth ; bastard primary small, sometimes as long as the primary- 

 coverts, and sometimes extending 0-2 beyond them. Tail shorter 

 than the wing, the outside feathers about 0-2 shorter than the 

 longest. Legs, feet, and claws bluish grey. Length of wing S-2o 

 to 2-[>o inches, tail 2-9 to 2-5, culmen 0-68 to 0-6^ tarsus 0-9. 



Thi- female ditfers from the male in having the head only slightly 

 darker and browner than the back. After the autumn moult no im- 

 portant change of plumage is perceptible. Birds of tlui i/ear scarcely 

 difl:er from the adult, except that both sexes appear in the plumage 

 of the female. Mahs after thi-irjlrsl xprimj moult att::in a plumage 

 intermediate between that of the adult male and adult female. In 

 Spanish skins the pale greyish brown of the underparts is replaced 

 by pale buff. 



The Western Orphean Warbler breeds throughout Central and 

 Southern Europe and Xorth Africa. Intermediate forms between 

 this and the Eastern subspecies occur in Asia Minor and Palestine. 

 They winter in the valley of the Gambia, and probably in other 

 parts of Central Africa. 



a. d" ad. sk. Genoa {A. B. Brooki-). R. B. Sharpe, Esq. [P.]. 



b, c. Ad. sk. Gibraltar. Col. Iiby [P.]. 

 d. Ad. sk. Tangiers (Olcesp). Col. Irbv [P.j. 



e,f. 2 ^d. sk. Algeria, May 18 (Salvin). F. Godmau and 0. 



■• . Salvin, Esqrs. [P.]. 



g. 2 aih sk. Nubia. Mons. Verreaux. 

 h. (5' ad. sk. Taurus, Asia Minor, .\pril 22 F. Godman and O. 



(('. G. Dnnford). Salvin. Esqrs. [P.]. 



i. 5 ad. sk. S_vi-ia. Mous. Verreaux. 



k. J imm. sk. Palestine. Canon Tristram [C.]. 



