SCOTOCERCA SAHAR.E 125 



Iris light brown ; bill blackish above, lighter below ; feet light brown. 

 Total length 4-40 inches, wing 210, culmen -50, tarsus -SO. 

 Adult female similar to the male, but slightly smaller. 



Observations. — The wing of some examples in my collection measures 

 as much as 2-25 inches. 



Specimens of Cisticola from Ceylon are very dark coloured, and 

 resemble the birds from North-western Africa. 



This form or subspecies of Cisticola, appears to differ con- 

 stantly from typical C. cisticola (Temm.), and sufficiently so as to 

 merit separation. It is no doubt a local race, differing from the 

 ordinary form in its darker coloration and somewhat larger size, its 

 wing measurement averaging about two-tenths of an inch more than 

 that of C. cisticola (Temm.). 



The form occurs throughout Northern and Central Tunisia as a 

 resident and breeding species. It is also to be found in Algeria and 

 Marocco, from both of which countries I have specimens of it. In 

 Southern Spain also it appears to be met with occasionally, though 

 not as commonly as typical G. cisticola (Temm.). 



In the Tunisian Eegency I have found this dark form abundant 

 in the neighbourhood of El-Kef, and at Mateur near Bizerta, and 

 it no doubt occi;rs more or less plentifully throughout all the country 

 north of the Atlas. From the districts south of those mountains 

 I have no specimens of it, but it may possibly be found there too. 



In its habits, note and mode of nesting G. c. mauritanica does 

 not seem to differ from C. cisticola (Temm.). 



SCOTOCERCA SAHARA (Loche). 

 DESEET WEEN-WARBLER. 



Malurus saharse, Lochc, Bcv. ct Mag. dc Zool. 1858, p. 395, pi. xi, 



tig. 2. 

 Scotoceroa saharae, Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. vii, p. 214 ; Wliitaker, 



Ibis, LS95, p. 95; Erlancjer, J. f. 0. 1899, p. 277. 

 Drymoica saharse, Loche, Expl. Sci. Abj. Ois. i, p. 283 (1867) ; Kncni,j, 



/./. 0. 1892, p. .395. 



