1921.] Birds of Lower Egypt. 253 



Captain W. Sbipton, who observed the birds hauutino- the 

 bush whilst he was hiid up waiting for ducks to flight. The 

 female of this subspecies is of a very skulking disposition 

 and extremely difRcult ro obtain in the tamarisk thickets. 

 I succeeded in shooting two females and several males, and 

 also another young bird just on the wing. 



Apart from this locality, I also met with these birds near 

 the Moeris Hotel, on the opposite shore of Lake Qarun ; 

 and, on a subsequent visit, found it common at the eastern 

 end of the lake, where I secured further s|iecimens. I 

 believe it to be fairly numerous in suitable places around 

 the lake ; but I never met with it at Tamiya or elsewhere 

 in the Fayian Province. The egg is very similar to some 

 types of the (*ommon Whitethroat, being greenish and 

 closely spotted. 



[I can confirm Mr. flaw's notes on this species, as I 

 obtained a young bird unable to fly, and found several old 

 nests of the year on an island in Lake Qarun on 29. iii. 10. 

 I also found a new nest without eoo-g. The nests I saw 

 Avere chiefly composed of the stems of tamarisk bushes. 

 — R. S.] 



66. Sylvia cantillans albistriata. Subalpine Warbler. 

 Observed sparingly in early spring from 15 March to 



12 April. Never identitied in the autumn. 



67. Agrobates galactotes galactotes. Rufcous Warbler. 

 This, our only real song-bird, arrives towards the end of 



March; and is abundant and tame until the end of August. 

 Two broods are raised annually, and dwarf date-palms are 

 frequently selected to build in, although heaps of rubbish 

 and clumps of prickly pears are also much resorted to. The 

 middle of May is usually the time for the first full clutches, 

 and I have found fresh eggs on 18 June. Two to three is 

 normally all that one finds in a clutch, but some years sets of 

 four are more common. Major F. W. Borman found 

 clutches of five not uncommon farther north, near Lake 

 Borollos, in June 1018. It also breeds in the Wadi Natrun 



