Tlie synonymy of the Eastern form is as follows : — 



6. Sylvia jerdoni. 



Sylvia jerdoni (Bl;/f/i). 



Curruca orpliea {Teinm.), /3. heleua, Hempr. et Ehr. Sijmb. Phys. 



Aves, fol. cc (183.'3). 

 Philomela orphea {2'eimii.) apud Jerdon^ Madras' Journ. x. p. 267 



(1839). 

 Cumica jerdoni, Bliith, J. A. S. Benq. xvi. p. 439 (1847). 

 Sylvia jerdoui {Bhjtii), Bh/th, Caf. B. Mm. 4s. Soc. p. 187 (1849) ; 

 'Bp. Consp. i. p. 294 (LS'-W) ; Grai/, Hand-l B. i. p. 214. no. 3022 



(1869); Bhinf. Ea>it. Pers. ii. p. 172 (1876). 

 Artamus cucuUatiis, Nicholson, P. Z. S. 18)1, p. 195, pi. xliii. 

 Sylvia orphea, Temin. apud Jerd. B. hid. ii. p. 208 (1863). 



This form differs from the preceding only in the length of the 

 bill, the measurements of which have been already given, and in 

 the fact that it does not appear ever to have the buff underparts 

 which are characteristic of Spanish examples. 



The Eastern Orphean Warbler breeds iu Persia and Turkestan, 

 and winters in India and Arabia. 



a, 6. cJ 2 ad. sk. E. of Shiraz, S. Persia, W. T. Blanford, Esq. [C.]. 



7000 ft., June 1. 



c, d. Ad. sk. B diar. B. H. Hodgson, Esq. [P.]. 



e. Ad. sk. Madras. Sir W. ElUot [P.]. 



Sylvia curruca, Sylvia afflnis, and Sylvia althea. 



This is an excellent example of a species in the process of break- 

 ing up into three s])ecie3. Typical examples of each present excel- 

 lent characters, and have fairly well-defined geographical limits. 

 Unfortunately, however, for the student who is anxious to define 

 his species with greater accuracy than Nature has hitherto succeeded 

 in accomplisliing tlie task, intermediate forms occur, and individuals 

 do not always recognize their geographical limits as most species 

 do. As Hume very justly observes, this is a case in which some 

 ornithologists will treat the birds as three species, whilst others 

 will cousider them to be only three races of one somewhat variable 

 species. I prefer to treat them as subspecies, adopting the pro- 

 visional hypothesis that the intermediate forms are the result of 

 the interbreeding of the different races. 



The synonymj' of the European form is as follows : — 



7. Sylvia curruca. » 



Sylvia curruca (Linn.). 



La Fauvette babillarde, Briss. Orn. iii. p. 384 (1760) ; Buffon, Hist. 

 Nat. Ois. V. p. 135 (1778) ; Daubent. PL Enl. 580. fig. 3 (1778). 



