SYLVIA NANA DESERTI 85 



country as a rule, where but little vegetation is to be found, and 

 that merely of a dwarf or scrub description. Owing to its small size, 

 and to its shyness, as well as to the fact that its colour harmonises so 

 well with that of the soil and surroundings of the districts it inhabits, 

 this little bird may easily escape notice, and is probably often passed 

 by, although within a few feet of one. Like Scotocerca saharcB, it 

 seems to be fond of diving into the middle of a desert-bush, in order to 

 hide itself. While travelling in Tripoli Mr. Dodson was only for- 

 tunate enough to meet with the species on a single occasion, when he 

 came across five individuals together, probably a family party, as it 

 was in the month of July. As a rule the birds are more often to be 

 found in pairs. The food of this little Warbler appears to consist 

 chiefly of insects and their larvse. Its flight is short and jerky. Both 

 Loche and Dr. Koenig speak of its song as being very soft and 

 pleasing, and the latter says that the little songster is in the habit of 

 rising into the air when singing, and then dropping down again into 

 the bush from which it rose. Loche considers that its song bears 

 some resemblance to that of S. conspicillata. Its call-note appears to 

 be rather sharp and piercing. 



Dr. Koenig informs us that the nest of this species differs totally 

 from the ordinary type of Warbler's nest, and is more like that of the 

 Eeed-Warbler, being very deep and purse-shaped, with an aperture at 

 the top. It is placed in a desert-bush, and is composed principally of 

 grasses and other plant-material, well lined with animal wool and 

 vegetable down. Dr. Koenig found several nests, but only one with 

 eggs in it. This he took in the neighbourhood of Dzelfana on April 

 13th. The two eggs it contained had a greenish-white ground colour, 

 spotted with olive-green surface spots, and pale lilac shell-marks 

 chiefly at the larger end. They both measured 14 X 11 mm. 



A specimen of this species which was obtained by Signor Odoardo 

 Ferragni of Cremona, in the vicinity of that town on November 7th, 

 1883, is preserved in the Florence Museum under the Catalogue No. 

 2,252. So far as I am aware, this is the only recorded instance of 

 the occurrence of this desert-species in Europe. 



