88 BIRDS OF TUNISIA 



four or five feet from the ground, but occasionally it may be found at 

 twice that height or even more. At times, on the contrary, it is low 

 down, and I once found a nest of this species in a small Asparagus- 

 fern in a greenhouse in my garden in Palermo. The parent birds used 

 to pass in and out through an open window of the greenhouse, and 

 seemed perfectly at home there. 



Like many other species, this Warbler, when disturbed on its nest, 

 will fly off, feigning disablement, in order to entice the intruder away 

 from its home, and its acting on such occasions is remarkably clever. 



I may here observe that in Sicily S. vielanocephala is the 

 commonest Warbler to be met with, and, with the exception perhaps 

 of the Blackcap, is the only strictly resident Warbler to be found in 

 the island. Every garden of any size at Palermo, and other places 

 in Sicily, can show several pairs of these birds, and such of the 

 moinitains as have a " maquis " growth are also much frequented by 

 the species. 



Loche includes S. rueppelli in his list of Algerian birds, but any 

 occurrence of this eastern species so far west must have been purely 

 accidental, and exceptional. 



SYLYIA ORPHEA, Temmiuck. 

 OEPHEAN WARBLER. 



Sylvia orphea, Temm. Man. d'Orn. p. 107 (1815) ; Wkitaker, Ibis, 



1895, p. 95. 

 S. orpheus, Seebohvi, Cat. Birds Brit. Mas. v, p. 14. 

 S. orphsea, Malherbc, Faune Ornith. de I'Alg. p. 12 (1855); Koenuj, 



J. f. 0. 1888, p. 196 ; id. J. f. 0. 1892, p. 401 ; Erlauger, J. f. 0. 1899, 



p. 258. 

 Curruca orphea, Loche, Expl. Sci. Alg. Ois. i, p. 238 (1867). 



Description. — Adult male, spring, from Hauiruau-Lif, North Tunisia. 



Forehead, crown, lores and ear-coverts dull smoke-black ; rest of the 

 upper plumage ashen-grey, becoming brown on the wings ; tail dark brown, 

 outer rectrices white, except for a narrow brown baud on the inner webs, the 

 adjoining two pairs on either side slightly tipped with white ; entire under 

 plumage white, tinged on the sides, dauks and crissum with vinous-grey. 



Iris pale lemon-yellow ; bill and feet lead colour. 



Total length 6 inches, wing 3-20, culmen -50, tarsus -95. 



