CETTl'S WARBLER. 323 



ten feathers, two central pairs equal and longest, rest graduated, 

 outermost being 9-13 mm. shorter than central, tips of feathers 

 broad and rounded. Upper and under tail-coverts about half as 

 long as tail. Bill fine and compressed. A few short, fine rictal 

 bristles. Nostrils uncovered. Legs and feet strong. 



Soft 'parts. — Bill dark brown with bro^vnish-flesh base of lower 

 mandible ; legs and feet broAvnish-flesh ; iris dark sepia. 



Characters and allied forms. — C. c. orientalis (Palestine) is 

 paler, C. c. cettioides (Turkestan, Persia) is larger and paler. 

 For general characters see generic distinctions. 



Field -CHARACTERS. — More rufous than Nightingale and tail 

 shorter, broader and graduated. Usually keeps to thick cover 

 close to water and is shy and difficult to observe. Song immediately 

 attracts attention — -very short and very loud, general! 3^ of three 

 short phrases, it usually surprises one by suddenness of beginning 

 and abruptness of ending. Alarm note " tchuk " repeated 

 (H.F.W.). 



Breeding-habits. — ^Haunts banks of rivers, creeks, and swamps- 

 with thick covert of bramble-brakes, tamarisk, reeds or rank 

 vegetation. Nest. — Often built in dead brambles over water, but 

 also at times in tamarisk bushes by riversides, or among reeds, 

 and in rank growth of Epilohhmi and other marsh -plants. Built 

 of dead grasses, leaves, etc., with a neat cup lined fine grasses and 

 hair, sometimes feathers. Eggs. — 4-5, deep brick-red, but fading 

 to purplish-pink. Average of 100 eggs, 18 X 13.9 mm. Breeding- 

 seaso7i. — Last week April and early May : apparently second 

 brood about end May or early June at times. 



Food. — Mainly insects, but Gerbe also records worms and L3a1.es 

 found small moUusca (snails), and a few green seeds in stomach 

 as well as insects. 



Distribution. — England.— -Three. A male Battle (Sussex) May 

 12, 1904 {i(t supra). A female, Whatlington (Sussex), September 1, 

 1906 (J. B. Nichols, Brit. B., 1, p. 185). A male, Westfield (Sussex), 

 June 21, 1916 (G. V. Webster, t.c, X., p. 137). 



Distribution. — Abroad. — South France, Spain and Portugal, 

 Mallorca, Italy, Sicily, Co!"sica and Sardinia, north-west Africa, 

 south-east Europe and Asia ]\Iinor to Syria, and apparently Caucasus 

 and Crimea. Replaced by slightly paler form in Palestine, and by 

 a still paler and much larger one in Khirgiz Steppes and east Persia 

 to Turkestan. The form from Mallorca has also been separated, 

 but is unknown to us, while the supj)osed Balkan form is not 

 separable. 



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