Birds of Southern Kdinerun. 7o 



2152. Phvlloscopus sibilatrix. 



tsharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 319. 



My specimens were shot at different dates during the 

 months forming the winter of Europe, the latest being 

 March 26. All that I have shot or h^een were in the 

 tree-tops of the open land, where they were busily flitting 

 about, pursuing insects. They seemed to prefer a certain 

 kind of tree with open, spreading foliage ; and more than 

 once were seen in trees just coming into leaf, where the 

 mucilage of the buds attracted insects. 



2228 6. TuRDUs PELios sATURATus. [Etvito.] 



Sharpe, Ibis, 1902, p. 95. 



Merula saturata Sharpe, Ibis, 1908, p. 124. 



To my brief note about the Etyito in 'The Ibis' (1905, 

 p. 473) I have to add a description of the nest and eggs. 

 But first I must say a word more about its song. Some 

 individuals, at least, are as fine songsters as any Thrush 

 that I know. One that I have listened to many an evening 

 at Bitye could pour forth a song of endless variety, now 

 mocking other birds, now uttering notes of its own, all in 

 a full rich voice. 



Nests of this bird are not infrequently found on plantains 

 or at the base of the palm-fronds, about villages. They 

 are always in damp places, and have been most often found 

 in the rainy season ; the base of the nest is always of damp, 

 rotting fibres of weeds or plantains, and in one a weed-seed 

 had germinated and was growing out of the side of the nest, 

 which had eggs in it. The top part of the nest, however, is 

 always dry — that is, composed of rootlets and small weed- 

 stems. The number of eggs found was either two or three ; 

 they vary in length from 24 to 28 mm., and in breadth 

 from 20 to 21 mm. 



[A series of eight eggs, which vary in shape from a very wide 

 blunt oval to a wide regular oval and are somewhat glossy. 

 The gronnd-colour varies from bluish-green to pale bluish- 

 white, and in one specimen it is warm cream-colour. Some 



