322 



A PEACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



CETTIA CETTI 



135. Cettia cetti cetti (Temm.) — CETTI'S WARBLER. 



Sylvia cetti Temminck,* Man. d'Orn., 2nd ed., i, p. 194 (1820 — Sardinia). 

 Cettia cetti, Nicoll, Bull. B.O.C., xiv, p. 84 ; Saunders, Brit. B., i, p. 9. 



Description. — Adult male and female. 

 Winter. — WTiole upper -parts uniform dark 

 chestnut -brown, crown and nape usual Ij^ 

 less rufous than mantle, rump and ujjper 

 tail-coverts ; narrow strijie from nostrils, 

 over and behind eye dull white ; lores 

 dark brown ; ear -coverts and sides of 

 neck pale greyish-bro%\-n ; chin, centre 

 of throat, breast and bell}- dull white ; 

 sides of throat and breast gi-eyish-browii ; 

 flanks and under tail - coverts darker 

 brown, latter tipped with dull white ; 

 under ^dng -coverts greyish - white and 

 pale brown ; axillaries pale greyish-browai 

 tipped greyish-white ; tail-feathers dark 

 brown, outer webs fringed chestnut -brown ; 

 wing-feathers same but inner webs nar- 

 rowly fringed whitish ; all wing-coverts 

 dark brown fringed and tipped chestnut- (Ce«iac.oe<«),Taiifrom below. 

 browii. This plumage is acquired by 



complete moult in late summer. Summer. — A moult confined to 

 the body, lesser and median wing-coverts, imier greater coverts 

 and innermost secondaries takes place in March, but some 

 individuals do not seem to moult at all in sjDring. 



Nestling. — (Not examined.) 



Juvenile. — Like adult but slightly less chestnut on upper- 

 jmrts, white of under-parts rather duller. 



First winter. — Like adults. The juvenile body-plumage 

 and wing-coverts are moulted in Julj^ and August, but not primary- 

 coverts, Ming or tail-feathers. 



Measurements and structure. — o wing 58-66 mm., tail 57-65, 

 tarsus 21-24, bill from skull 12.5-14 (12 measured.) $ wing 54-60. 

 Primaries : 1st broad, 9-12 mm. longer than longest primary- 

 covert and about half as long as 2nd primary, 2nd equal to or 

 shorter than 10th, 4th and 5th longest, 3rd and 6th 1 mm. shorter, 

 7th 2-4 shorter ; 2nd to 6th emarginated outer webs. Secondaries 

 rather shorter than 10th primary, tips rounded. Tail much rounded. 



Cetti's Warbler 



* Temminck's name was published Oct. 1820, whereas Marmora's Sylvia 

 cetti, Mem. Accad. Torino, xxv, p. 254, was published in November or 

 December, 1820. 



