86 BIRDS OF TtTNISIA 



SYLYIA MELANOCEPHALA (Gmelin). 

 SARDINIAN WAEBLEE. 



Motacilla melanocephala, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. i, p, 970 (1788). 



SylYia melanocephala, Scebohm, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. v, p. 29 ; 



JUalherbe, Cat. Bais. d'Ots. Akj. p. 11 (1846) ; Whitaker, Ibis, 1895, 



p. 95. 

 Pyropthalma melanocephala, Loche, Expl. Sci. Alg. Ois. i, p. 246 



(1867) ; Koeniij, J. f. 0. 1888, p. 200 ; id. J. f. 0. 1892, p. 403 ; Erlanger, 



J. f. 0. 1899, p. 260. 



Description. — Adult male, spring, from Kebilli, South Tunisia. 



Forehead, crown, lores and ear-coverts jet-black; the remainder of the 

 upper plumage dark slate, with the exception of the quills which are brown, 

 the secondaries being fringed with pale grey ; tail, which is rather long and 

 rounded, blackish-slate, the outer feathers with the outer web and tip white, 

 the next adjoining pair also tipped with white ; chin and throat pure white, 

 the remainder of the underparts white, washed with slate. 



Iris red, eyelid brick-red ; bill black, becoming grey below ; feet light 

 brown. 



Total length 5-30 inches, wing 2-35, culmen -45, tarsus -80. 



Adult female, spring, from Kebilli, South Tunisia. 



Forehead and crown brownish-slate ; the remainder of upper plumage 

 brown ; tail pattern as in the male ; chin and throat white ; remainder of 

 the underparts white, tinged with buff-brown. 



Soft parts as in the male ; measurements sUghtly less. 



Observations. — The colour of the iris in this species appears to vary, 

 accordmg to age, from orange-yellow to deep red, but is generally of the 

 latter colour in fully adult males. 



This Warbler is common in many parts of the Eegency, occurring 

 as a resident and breeding species in the northern and Atlas districts, 

 but apparently only as a winter migrant in the south, where its range 

 does not usually extend to the more inland oases. I have a note of 

 its occurrence, however, at Douirat, which is fairly far inland. 



In Marocco the Sardinian Warbler is very common, and I have 

 immerous examples of it, obtained in different parts of the Empire, 

 both north and south. These seem to be rather darker in colouring 

 than the generality of specimens found further east. 



From TripoH also I have specimens of this species. 



