THE RUFOUS WARBLER. 387 



Juvenile. — Like adults but upper-parts rather paler and more 

 sandy, less chestnut ; feathers of throat, breast and sides with 

 dark sandy tips, giving a slightly speckled appearance ; flanks 

 rather paler than adult ; tail-feathers with less black than in 

 adults and usually with none at all on outer webs. 



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

 apparently greater, median and lesser wing-coverts and two or 

 three innermost secondaries are moulted June-Oct., but not 

 primary-coverts nor rest of wing -feathers. The tail would seem 

 to moult, as in all winter and summer birds the tail-feathers have 

 well-marked black subterminal bands but no specimens actually 

 moulting tail have been examined. 



Measurements and structure. — (^ wing 85-91 mm., tail 68-75, 

 tarsus 26-28, bill from skull 18-20 (12 measured). $ wing 82-86, 

 tail 67-71. Primaries : 1st 3-6 mm. longer than primary-coverts, 

 3rd and 4th longest, 5th sometimes as long but usually 1 mm. 

 shorter, 6th 3-5 shorter, 2nd 3-6 shorter ; 3rd and 4th clearly, 

 and 5th slightly, emarginated outer webs. Secondaries about 

 equal 10th primary, tips rather square. Tail rounded laterally, 

 outermost pair 6-10 mm. shorter than central, 12 feathers, tips 

 rounded. Distal half of bill compressed, basal portion broader 

 and flatter. Some fine, short rictal and nasal bristles. Nostrils 

 not covered by feathers. 



Soft parts. — Bill dark horn-brown, base of lower mandible 

 greyish-flesh ; legs and feet pale brown ; iris brown. 



Characters and allied forms. — A. g. minor (Abyssinia, north 

 Somaliland, south Sahara) is like A. g. galactotes but decidedly 

 smaller and with less black on subterminal bands of tail-feathers ; 

 A. g. familiaris (south Caucasus to Turkestan and Baluchistan) is 

 like A. g. syriacus but paler and more greyish-brown on upper- 

 parts. The bright rufous tail with white tips and black sub- 

 terminal bands distinguish the species. 



Field-characters. — The fox-red colour of its upper-parts and 

 the white and black tips to the tail, which is frequently erected 

 and spread are very distinctive. It has a beautiful papilio-like 

 downward flight with uplifted wings and frequently sings as it 

 descends (H.F.W.) 



Breeding-habits. — Breeds in hedges of prickly pear or bushes, 

 generally within a few feet of ground. Nest. — Roughly and un- 

 tidily built of grasses, fibre, bents, with a neat cup lined fine roots, 

 hair, etc., and almost invariably a piece of snake-skin. Eggs. — 

 4-5, greyish-white or greenish-grey ground, closely freckled and 

 spotted all over with umber and ashy-brown. Average of 113 eggs, 

 22.4: y. 1 6.4 mm. Breeding -sea^son. — Most eggs laid in Spain and north 

 Africa in second half of May or early in June. Single brooded. 



2C2 



