264 Mr. W. E. Brooks on some 



were really of that species. The comparison for such a purpose 

 should have been made with well-ascertained males only, and 

 all should have been well out of the moult, so that every 

 primary would be of the full length. As to colour, this, at 

 certain times of the year, is not so important, for I well know 

 how thoroughly these little birds fade and lose all the green 

 and all the yellow. 



I have obtained examples of the deeply toned P. affinis of 

 a dingy grey and with no green and no yellow. This was in 

 summer-time. 1 have also obtained examples of other species 

 similarly bleached. 



The whole of the Phylloscopi lose colour very much, but 

 their voices and song do not change. Here I may remark 

 that all of these little birds that I have seen in life, and I 

 have seen a good many of them, have notably distinct voices. 

 By the help of the ear it is utterly impossible to confound 

 them. They also, so far as at present ascertained, differ in 

 their nests and eggs, and it is too soon to suppress Swinhoe's 

 bird until it has been heard to speak for itself. This I am 

 pretty sure it is able to do. 



Now, no two Phylloscopi resemble each other more closely 

 than P. tristis and my P. scindianus. They are far more 

 alike in size and colour than P. borealis and P. xanthodryas. 

 Both are found in Scind in the winter, but only P. tristis 

 comes down to the North-west Provinces and Bengal. P. 

 scindianus has the largest first primary, but it shows only a 

 faint tinge of yellow on the axillary plumes, and none of the 

 greenish edging to the lesser wing-coverts. Its bill, legs, 

 and feet are paler. But P. tristis has a faint sibilant call- 

 note, while that of P. scindianus is the loudest call-note I 

 know of — similar to the Avell-knowu '^ tis-yip,^^ to use 

 Blyth's term, of the English Willow- Wren, but more highly 

 pitched and far louder. P. tristis is a Chiffchaif, but the 

 faint little song is agreeable and musical, thus differing from 

 the poor monotonous one of the English ChiffchafP. The 

 song of P. viridanus is quite Willow- Wren-like, but of jsoor 

 quality, and far inferior to that of the English Willow-Wren. 

 That of P. affinis is a monotonous chirp, no more musical 



