242 Mr. A. B. Brooke on the 



ing and lighting again in the same spot — a habit so character- 

 istic of the common Whitethroat, to which species this bird 

 appears to bear a remarkable resemblance both in colora- 

 tion and habits. 



85. Sylvia subalpina. 



I cannot say whether these Warblers remain in Sardinia 

 during the winter. They are moderately common in summer 

 on the low wooded scrubby hills and along river-banks. They 

 seem to be more partial to trees than most of the other small 

 Warblers, and are extremely shy and difficult to see. I saw 

 young birds flying on the 12th of May. 



86. Melizophilus sardus. 



This interesting little Warbler is very common on all the 

 uncultivated parts of the plain, where the undercover (con- 

 sisting chiefly of cistus) does not grow very tall or thick, 

 but is scattered sparingly ; and I have never seen them in the 

 woods. They are, as far as my observations go, entirely con- 

 fined to the plain, rarely, if ever, wandering, even to the ad- 

 joining low hills, where their place seems to be taken by the 

 following very closely allied species. I have only on one oc- 

 casion met with these two species on the same ground. 



M. sardus is a bold little bird, often hopping and creeping 

 about confidently within ten yards, trusting to escape obser- 

 vation by its diminutive size, dusky colour, and quiet unob- 

 trusive habits. Their flight is feeble and wavy, rarely extend- 

 ing any distance ; and on alighting it is often hard to see them 

 again, as they creep off close to the ground along the stems 

 of the cistus, and by the time the spot they disappeared in is 

 reached they are thirty or forty yards off, perhaps in an op- 

 posite direction. They sing either perched on the top of the 

 cistus or, frequently, in the air, jerking themselves down again 

 into the bushes. Their song is very like that of M '. provincialis ; 

 but I do not think it quite so grating ; their alarm note is a 

 single short tick, unmistakable when once heard. I was 

 unfortunate in never being able to find a nest, owing to the 

 density and vastness of the undercover ; but on the 19th of 

 May I came on a b'rood of five or six young birds just able 



