PASSERINE BIRDS OF CEYLON. 81 



Hypolais CALIGATA. 



The Booted Tree Warbler. 



Hypolais caligata (Gates, Vol. I., p. 393 ; not in Legge). 



Description. — Upper plumage sandy-brown; rump rather 

 lighter ; wings and tail dusky-brown with paler margins, 

 the outer tail feathers lighter and with broader, almost pearl 

 white margins ; lores brownish ; a pale buff streak from the 

 nostrils over the eye ; whole under plumage pale buff, the 

 throat and centre of abdomen near]}- white. 



Bill brown above, fleshy below ; iris dark brown ; legs and 

 feet pale brown. 



Length 5; Aving 2-35; tail 1-95; tarsus -75; bill from 

 gape "SS. 



Distribution. — A recent addition to our list ; two specimens 

 which have been kindly identified for me by JMr. Stuart Baker 

 were procured by the Museum Collector on February 15, 1905, 

 one at Mannar and one at Giant's Tank, 14 miles away. The 

 distance apart of these two localities would appear to indicate 

 an incursion of this species that year. Another specimen was 

 procured in the Mannar District in February, 1921. This 

 Warbler summers in Turkestan and Southern Siberia, and 

 winters generally in Northern and Central India. 



Habits. — A slender little bird, which is of the same genus 

 as the English Icterine Warbler. It flits about the lower 

 branches of trees and among bushes in search of insects. A 

 good lookout should be kept in the north-west of the Island 

 from November to February for this and other rare migrant 

 Warblers. It is quite possible that specimens \asit us from 

 time to time unnoticed. 



Sylvia althaea. 



Hume's Lesser White-throated Warbler. 



Sylvia althsea (Gates, Vol. I., p. 397 ; not in Legge). 



Descriptio7i. — Upper plumage mainly gra3'ish-brown ; the 

 crown rather dusky -gray, the back n^ore tinged A\ith brown ; 

 wings dark brown with paler edges, the innermost quills 

 almost the same hue as the back ; central tail feathers dusky- 

 brown with pale margins, the outermost pair ahnost wholly 



U 6(17)21 



