309 



b. Eastern Whitethroat, S. communis ieterops Menetr. 



Eggs: Dresser, pi. — , fig. 4. 

 Sylvia communis ieterops Men. Hartert, Vog. Pal. Fauna, p. 587. 



Breeding Eange: Caucasia. [Also from Palestine and Traus- 

 caspia E. to Persia, Turkestan and W. Siberia.] 



In the Caucasus it breeds up to 6000 ft. but the limits of the two ^'^■ 

 races are not yet clearly defined. In Palestine it is a plentiful resident, " " ' ' 

 but the W. form occurs also in autumn. From Transcaspia and Persia 

 its range extends eastward through Turkestan and W. Siberia to the Altai 

 range and the R. Yenesei. 



In breeding habits it resembles the western race , but the eggs are ^'«^*- ^88' 

 extremely variable and clutches of the red type occur very frequently. 

 The greenish ground colour is often replaced by white or creamy, spotted 

 with ochreous and lead colour. In Palestine eggs are laid from the be- 

 ginning of April onward, and in Turkestan during May. Average size 

 of 17 eggs measured by the writer, 18.45x14.36, Max. 19.3x14.5 and 

 19X15, Min. 17.2X14.3 and 17.6x13.4. 



147. Lesser Whitethroat, Sylvia curruca L. 



Plate 27, fig. 16—19 (Germany). 



Eggs: Thienemann, Fortpfl. Tab. XX, fig. 11, ad. Hewitson, 

 I Ed. I, pi. XIII; II Ed. pi. XXVII, fig. 5, 6; III Ed. pi. XXXV, fig. 

 4. Baedeker, Tab. 51, fig. 8. Taczanowski, Tab. L, fig. I. Seebohm, 

 Br. Birds, pi. 10; id. Col. Fig. pi. 52. Frohawk, Br. Birds, I, pi. II, 

 fig. 35 — 37. Dresser, pi. — , fig. 7 — 9. Howard, B. Warblers, pi. Ill, 

 fig. 19—24. Nest: O. Lee, IV, p. 158. 



British Local Names: Peggy, Hazel Linnet. Welsh: Llwyd fron 

 fach. Foreign Names: Bohemia: Fenice podkkrovni. Denmark and 

 Norway: Oraesmutte. Finnland: Hernekerttu. France: Bee-fin babillard. 

 Germany : Zaun-Orasmileke. Holland : Braamsluiper. Hungary : Kis pos- 

 zdta. Italy: Bigiarella. Poland: Pokrzyivka piegza. Russia: Peresmeshka. 

 Sweden: Artsmygg. Spain: Parlanchin. 



Sylvia curruca L. Newton, ed. Yarrell, I. p. 410. Dresser, B. of Europe, 

 II. p. 383 and Man. Pal. Birds p. 76. Saunders, Man. p. 43. S. cur- 

 ruca curruca (L.) Hartert, Vog. Pal. Fauna, p. 588. 



Breeding Range: Great Britain and Continental Europe, except 

 N. Scandinavia and N. Russia, and the Iberian peninsula. [Also Palestine, 

 Asia Minor, and Persia to the Caucasus.] 



This species has a much more limited range in the British Isles British 

 than the Common Whitethroat. As a breeding species it is unknown in ^^^^"' 



