106 BIRDS OF TUNISIA 



as the bird possibly breeds there, I may here say that the Phijllo- 

 scopina, as a rule, uest on the ground, building semi-domed nests, 

 composed chiefly of dry grasses and mosses, at times lined with 

 feathei's and a little hair, but often, as in the case of the present 

 species, without any lining whatever. They lay from four to seven 

 eggs with a white or whitish ground colour, spotted with reddish-violet 

 and grey. 



Baron v. Erlanger (-7./. 0. 1899, p. 254) has separated the Wood- 

 Wren found in Tunisia from typical P. sibilatrix (Bech.), under the 

 name of P. sibilatrix flavescens, on the grounds of its being more 

 brightly coloured. These grounds, however, do not seem to be 

 sufficient for such distinction, as specimens equally brightly coloured 

 may be met with in Northern Europe. Mr. Hartert and Mr. Meade- 

 Waldo, however, both seem to have noticed a difference between the 

 song of the Wood-Wren found in Marocco and that of our common 

 European bird, and if not merely a seasonal modification of notes, 

 this would, of course, be a strong argument in favour of separation. 



Mr. Ogilvie-Grant, writing on "Birds obtained at Madeira" {Ibis, 

 1890, p. -44:0), also alludes to the song of the Wood- Wrens he heard 

 in the neighbourhood of Fanchal being difl'erent from that of any he 

 had ever heard at home, but he states that the four specimens which 

 he then obtained undoubtedly belonged to P. sibilatrix. 



PHYLLOSCOPUS BONELLI (Vieillot). 



BONELLI'S WAEBLEE. 



Sylvia bonelli, Vieill. Noiiv. Diet, ssviii, p. 91 (1819). 



Phylloscopus bonellii, Tristram, Ibis, 1859, p. 418 ; Seebohm, Cat. 



Birds Brit. Miis. v, p. 59 ; Erlanger, J. f. 0. 1899, p. 256. 

 Sylvia (Ficedula) nattererii, Malherbe, Faune Omith. dc I'Alcj. p. 13 



(1855). 

 Phyllopneuste bonelli, Loche, Expl. Sci. Alg. Ois. i, p. 255 (1867). 

 Phylloscopus bonelli, Wliitakcr, Ibis, 1895, p. 95. 



Description. — Adult male, spring, from Ghardimaou, North Tunisia. 



Above pale greyish-green, yellower on the rump ; quills and tail-feathers 

 greyish-brown, margined with yellowish-green ; a whitish superciliary 

 stripe ; underparts whitish, with a tinge of greyish-green on the Hanks ; 

 under wing-coverts and axillaries pale lemou-colour. 



