the Birds of the Lower Petchora. 217 



song is more that of a Hyiwlais, a genus which the bird also 

 resembles in the large size and width of the bill. This species 

 is a very distinct one. In size and colour it resembles P. tro- 

 chilus, but has a distinct pale bar across the wings^ caused 

 by the wing-coverts being pale at the tips. The wing-for- 

 mula is the same^ except that the bastard primary is very 

 much less, in fact as small as that of P. sibUatrix. It further 

 resembles P. sibUatrix in having a comparatively shorter tail. 

 We only met with this one specimen of P. borealis, and 

 are consequently unable to give any further information re- 

 specting it. 



Phylloscopus tristis (Blyth), 



On 22nd May we shot a small Warbler uttering a plaintive 

 call-note (a single note repeated at intervals) that we were 

 unfamiliar with. The bird resembled a Chiffchaff in size, 

 length of wing and tail, and wing-formula, but differed from 

 that bird in having no yellow on the belly and under tail- 

 coverts, and also in having black legs, instead of dark brown. 

 On the following day we heard a loud call-note, reminding 

 us of that of the Chiffchaff, but somewhat different; and shortly 

 afterwards we watched the bird singing on a spruce-fir. The 

 song was a repetition of its call-note with a few more musical 

 notes introduced. This bird proved to be the same as that 

 we had shot on the previous day. We met with it repeatedly 

 in the same valley near list Zylma, but found it very difficult 

 to shoot. It was still more abundant on the willow-covered 

 islands of the delta, and we obtained several more specimens 

 and one nest and seven eggs. Upon our return home we 

 submitted our skins to our friend IMr. Dresser, who pro- 

 nounced the bird to be P. tristis of Blyth. We are fortunate 

 in being able to add this species to the fauna of the Western 

 Palsearctic region, and have ventured to give it the English 

 name of the Siberian Chiffchaff. This bird has hitherto been 

 known as a winter visitor to India, though Mr. Brooks states, 

 but without naming his authority, that it breeds in Ladak, 

 mentioning the eggs, however, as being still amongst the 

 desiderata in collections i^vide Ibis, 1872, p. 31). 



SER. III. VOL. VI. Q 



