252 SYLVIADE. 



according to Pennant, in the temperate parts of Russia as far 

 as the Uralian chain, but does not reach Siberia. In sum- 

 mer it is found over the whole of the South of Europe to the 

 shores of the Mediterranean, It is seen at Genoa and in 

 Italy on its passage to the south and east in September ; and 

 Mr. Strickland observed that it was a common bird at 

 Smyrna in winter. 



The male has the beak black ; from the angle of the gape 

 of the beak to the eye a brown streak ; irides brown ; the 

 ear-coverts and a patch under the eye dark brown ; over the 

 lore, the eye, and the ear-coverts, an elongated streak of 

 white : top of the head, neck, back, and smaller wing-coverts, 

 a mixture of pale brown and very dark brown, each feather 

 being dark in the centre, and light at the circumference : 

 greater wing-coverts black ; the spurious wing white : quill- 

 feathers dark brown, the primaries reaching nearly to the end 

 of the tail ; the secondaries and tertials edged with light 

 brown ; tail-feathers white at the base, dark brown over the 

 distal half, and edged with pale brown. The chin and a line 

 from thence reaching beyond the lower edge of the end of 

 the ear-coverts, white ; throat and breast delicate fawn-colour, 

 passing into pale buff on the belly and under tail-covcrts ; 

 under surface of the distal half of the tail-feathers greyish 

 black. Legs, toes, and claws, black. 



The whole length of the bird rather short of five inches. 

 From the carpal joint to the end of the longest primary, three 

 inches : the first feather very short ; the second equal to 

 the fifth ; the third the longest. 



In the female, the white on the spurious wing is less con- 

 spicuous ; and the colouring of the under surface of the body 

 has less of red and more of yellow in the tint. 



