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SOME BIRDS NEW TO THE BRITISH LIST. 



MOUSTACHED WARBLER IN SUSSEX. 



On April 12th, 1915, an example of the Moustached Warbler 

 {Lusciniola m. melanopogon) was shot at St. Leonards-on- 

 Sea, Sussex. I examined it in the flesh the same day, and 

 found it to be a male in rather worn condition. After 

 skinning, I sent it up to Mr. H. F. Witherby, who kindly 

 identified it for me, as there was some doubt about it. 



H. W. Ford-Lindsay. 



As this and the other birds recorded here are new to the 

 British list, I append a description or diagnosis of each, and 

 Mr. J. B. Nichols, in whose collection all these birds now are, 

 has very kindly provided photographs of some of the specimens. 

 Description. — Adult male and female. Winter. — ^Fore-head, 

 crown and nape black, each feather fringed chestnut-brown ; 

 mantle and scapulars chestnut-brown streaked black ; back, 

 rump and upper tail-coverts uniform chestnut-brown ; narrow 

 stripe from nostrils, over and behind eye white ; lores and 

 under eye black, feathers tipped whitish ; ear-coverts black- 

 brown ; sides of neck chestnut-brown ; chin, throat, centre 

 of belly, axillaries and under wing-coverts white ; breast, 

 sides, flanks and under tail-coverts chestnut-buff varying 

 somewhat in intensity (upper breast with varying number of 

 narrow brown streaks ) ; tail-feathers black-brown fringed 

 chestnut-brown ; primaries black-brown narrowly fringed on 

 inner webs whitish and on outer pale brown ; secondaries 

 same but with more chestnut-brown fringes to outer webs ; 

 primary-coverts as primaries ; greater and median coverts 

 as secondaries ; lesser coverts uniform brownish-black. This 

 plumage is acquired by complete moult in early autumn. 

 Summer. — The body-feathers are moulted Feb. -Mar., but not 

 wings and tail. New plumage as winter. Abrasion makes 

 crown more uniform black, mantle more clearly streaked and 

 under-parts whiter, breast becoming white as throat and 

 belly and faint streaks wearing completely away. 



Nestling. — (Not examined.) Juvenile. — Like adult, but 

 brown of upper-parts more tawny, less deep chestnut. 



First winter. — Like adult. The juvenile body-plumage 

 is moulted June-August but not wing- or tail-feathers. 



Measurements and structure. — (^wing 53-62 mm., tail 48-55, 

 tarsus 19-22, bill from skull 12-14 (12 measured). $ wing 

 52-59. Primaries : 1st 5-8 mm. longer than longest primary- 

 covert, 4th and 5th longest, 3rd sometimes as long but 

 usually 1-2 mm. shorter, 6th 1-3 shorter, 7th 3-5 shorter. 



