THE YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER. 315 



Nestling. — (Not examined.) 



Juvenile. — Like adult but considerably browner on upper- 

 parts and slightly tinged with greyish-buff on under-parts and 

 tips of greater and median wing-coverts tinged buff. 



First winter.— Like adult. The juvenile body-feathers and 

 lesser wing-coverts are moulted in Aug. but not rest of wings nor 

 tail-feathers. 



Measurements and structure.—^ wing 55-60 mm., tail 38^4, 

 tarsus 17-18.5, bill from skull 9-10.5 (12 measured). $ wing 

 52-57. Primaries : 1st 3-7 mm. longer than longest primary- 

 covert, 3rd to 5th about equal and longest, 6th 1.5-3 shorter, 

 7th 4-7 shorter, 2nd between 7th and 8th, very rarely slightly 

 longer than 7th ; 3rd to 6th emarginated outer webs. Extreme 

 tips of wing- and tail-teathers sharply pointed. Rest of structure 

 as Chiffchaff. 



Soft parts. — Bill brown, with basal three-quarters of lower 

 mandible straw-colour ; legs and feet greyish-brown ; iris dark 

 brown. 



Characters and allied forms. — Ph. h. humei (Altai, north- 

 west Himalayas) has broAvner upper-parts and somewhat isabelline 

 tinge in eye-stripe and under-parts. Ph. h. mandellii (eastern 

 Himalayas) is rather bigger with longer tail. Small size, very 

 distinct double wing-bar, pale edges to inner secondaries, pale 

 line down centre of crown and green rump distinguish it from 

 other British Phylloscopi. N.B. Wing-pattern much resembles 

 that of Goldcrest, but easily distinguished from juvenile of latter 

 by itfi yellow eye-stripe and other differences. 



Field -CHARACTERS. — SmaU size, light green above and white 

 below as well as prominent superciliary stripe and wing-pattern 

 are all noticeable characters and make it quite easy to distinguish 

 (H. Ljmes). 



Breeding-habits. — Breeds on ground among moss and grass, 

 sometimes among rhododendron bushes. Nest. — Domed, built 

 of dead grasses and lined deer hair. Eggs. — 5 to 7. White, with 

 fine spots of dark red-brown, chieflj^ at big end. Average of 4 

 eggs, 14.8 X 11.2 mm. Breeding-season. — End of June or earh' 

 July. 



Food. — Small insects (Lynes). Detailed information wanting. 



Distribution. — British Isles. — Formerly considered rare vagrant, 

 has lately been so often recorded on east coasts Great Britain and 

 in Fair Isle that it may now be considered as an almost regular 

 passage-migrant in very small numbers (more numerous some j-ears 

 than others) along east coast from mid-Sept, to late Oct. Has 

 also occurred very rarely in west and once in Ireland. Two seen in 

 spring (Kent, April 15, 1899, Dumfries., April 11, 1909). Following 



