1. SYLTIA. 21 



Univ. Berl p. 34 (1823), apud Dress. ^- Blanf. Ibis, 1874, p. 340, 



apml Dresser, B. Eur. pt. xxxiii. (1874). 

 Curruca momiis, Ileinpr. et Ehr. Si/mb. I'hys. Av. i. fol. bb (1833). 

 Sylvia mystacea, Meiiefr. Cat. Em's. Cane. p. 34 (1832) ; Bp. Conip. 



List B. Eur. Sf N. Amer. p. 14 (1838) ; Severtz. Turkest. Jevotn. 



p. 65 (1873) ; Dresser, Ibis, 1876, p. 80. 

 Melizophilus nig-ricapillus, Cab. 3Ihs. Hein. i. p. 35 (1850). 

 Sylvia bowniani, Tristram, Ibis, 1867, p. 85 ; Gray, Hand I. B. i. 



p. 212. no. 3002 (1860). 

 Sylvia nigricapilla {Cah.), Gray, Ilaml-l. B. i. p. 212. no. 3005 



(1869). 

 Sylvia melanocephala minor, HeiujJ. Orn. N.O.-Afr. i. p. 303 (1869). 

 Sylvia melauocepliala Niibiae, Licht. Jide Heuyl. Orn. N.O.-Afr. i. 



p. 303 (1809). 

 Svlvia iTibescens, Blanf. Ibis, 1874, p. 77 ; id. East. Pers. ii. 



'p. 177, pi. xii. (1876)." 

 Pyroplithalma mystacen (Menetr.), Severtz. Stray Feath. 1875, p. 428. 

 Sylvia momus i^Hempr. et Ehr.), Dresser, B. Eur. pt. Ixxix. (1880). 



In the adult male in spriny plumage the head and cheeks are dark 

 slate-grey, approaching black, fading into light slate- grey on the 

 rest of the u])per parts ; the qnills are brown, the innermost secon- 

 daries margined with brownish white ; the tail is dark brown, M'ith 

 the outside web and the tip for some length of the inside web of the 

 outer feather on each side white; more or less white on the tips of 

 the next feathers. Underparts white, with an isabelline tint on the 

 breast and flanks ; axillaries and under wing-coverts pinkish white ; 

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

 the under mandible pole at the base ; rictal bristles few and slender. 

 Wing with the fourth and fifth primaries longest ; second primary 

 intermediate in length between the sixth and seventh, or seventh and 

 eighth ; bastard primary extending 0-15 inch beyond the primar}'- 

 coverts. Tail shorter than the wing, outside feathers 0-35 inch shorter 

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

 2-42 to 2-05 inches, tail 2-32 to 1-98, culmen 0-5 to 0-45, tarsus 

 0-75. 



The female differs from the male in having the upper parts a nearly 

 uniform sandy or huffish brown, somewhat darker and greyer on the 

 head, and in having the underparts more suffused with isabelline. 

 After the autumn moult the brown of the upper parts of the female 

 is darker (less sandy), and the breast and ilanks are also slightly 

 darker in colour. The icinter plumage of the adult mcde appears to 

 be unknown. What I take to be males in first winter j)l"'ntage 

 resemble the adult female at the same season, but have nearly black 

 centres to the feathers on the crown and ear-coverts. 



But little is known of the geographical distribution of Bowman's 

 Warbler. It breeds in Persia, and is apparently a resident in Pales- 

 tine, and probably also in Abyssinia. 



a. S,b. 2 ad. sk. Shiraz, S. Persia, W. T. Blanford, Esq. [C.]. 



4800 ft., June 12. (Tvpes of Si/lvia rubescens, 



Blanf.) 

 c. Ad, sk. North Afiica. Purchased. 



