289 



not found S. of the Danube, although it breeds in Herzegowina and 

 in Italy it is said to range S. to Sicily and to be common in Lombardy, 

 Venetia and Tuscany. Brooke stated that it bred in the marshes of 

 Sardinia, and Wharton records it from N. E. Corsica in late April, but 

 later records are lacking. [Tristram records it as breeding in Algeria, 

 but eggs taken there resemble Reed Warbler's somewhat, although he 

 does not mention that species, and though it probably breeds in N. W. 

 Africa, confirmation is desirable.] 



The few descriptions of the nest available depict it as generally Nest. 

 built among grass grown willow bushes or clumps of sedges, not far from 

 the ground and seldom more than 18 in. above it in swampy ground, 

 on banks of streams etc. The nest is said to be rather smaller and deeper 

 than that of the Sedge AVarbler, built of grasses and bents, with cobwebs 

 and plant down interwoven, and lined usually with horsehair and some- 

 times a few feathers. It also generally contains macerated leaves. 



Vary in number from -1 to 5 or 6. As far as one can tell from Eggs. 

 the small series of thoroughly authentic eggs examined, they cannot be 

 distinguished with any certainty from the eggs of the Sedge Warbler, 

 which they closely resemble. The ground colour is pale greenish yellow, 

 closely speckled with stone coloured or brownish yellow, varying in depth 

 of colour, but usually light, and sometimes darker at the big end or for- 

 ming a zone of darker markings. Shell smooth. 



Said to breed about a fortnight earlier than the Sedge Warbler by Breeding 

 Naumann : in Poland from mid May (Taczanowski), and in Switzerland 

 from mid May to early June. 



Average size of 52 eggs (17 by the writer and also by Hocke, 11 by Meaaure- 

 Proctor and 7 by Blasius), 17.11 X 13.01, Max. 18.3 X 14 and 17.5 X 15, ""'"*'• 

 Min. 15 X 13.7 and 17.6 X 11.8 mm. Ban gives the average of 36 eggs 

 as 16.7 X 13, and the average weight as 88 mg. They are thus sniiiller 

 and lighter on the average than those of the Sedge Warbler. 



137. [cterine Warbler, Hippolais icterina (Vieill.). 



Plate 28, fig. 26—29 (Leipzig). 



Eggs: Thienemann, Fortpfl. Tab. XIX, fig. 13, a — d. Baedeker, 

 Tab. 19, fig. 1, Taczanowski, Tab. LI, fig. 1. Seebolan, Br. Birds, 

 pi. 10; id. Col. Fig., pi. 52. Dresser, pi. — , fig. 25—28. Howard, 

 Br. Warblers, pi. II, fig. 34, 35. 



Foreign Names: Bohemia: Sedniihldsek. Denmark and Norway: 

 Bastard Naktcrgal. Finland: Kultarinta. France: Bcr-fin a yoitrinc 

 jaune. Germany: Gartensjjotter. Holland: Spotvogel. Hungary: Oeze. 



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