CLASSIFIED NOTES 487 



SARDINIAN-WARBLER [#///'''" melanocephala (Gmelin). French, fauvette melanocephale ; 

 German, whwarzkopfige Grasmiicke ; Italian, occhicotto]. 



1. Description. Resembles the blackcap in possessing a black head, but may be recognised 

 from that species at a glance by its white throat and rounded black and white tail. The sexes are 

 unlike in coloration. Length 5J in. [139 mm.]. General colour of the upper parts slate-grey 

 shading into black on the head, neck, and ear-coverts ; innermost secondaries broadly fringed with 

 rufous ; two middle pairs of tail feathers black, fringed for their entire length with slate-grey ; 

 remaining tail feathers tipped with white, the outermost pair having the terminal half white ; 

 under surface of the body white, shaded with greyish white on the chest and sides of the body. 

 The adult female has the upper parts brownish slate, secondaries fringed with tawny buff; under 

 parts white, washed with isabelline on the chest and sides of the body. [w. p. p. and T. w.] 



2. Distribution. In Europe this species breeds in S. France, the Iberian Peninsula, 

 Balearic Isles, Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Malta, Italy, Dalmatia, Montenegro, Turkey, Greece, 

 Crete, and the Archipelago. In Asia it is found in Asia Minor, but is replaced by an allied race 

 in Syria. It also nests in North-west Africa (Marocco to Tripoli), but the race from the Western 

 Canaries is distinct, though birds from the eastern islands do not differ from European speci- 

 mens. The winter quarters of the species lie mainly in S. Algeria, Tunisia, and the Sahara, also 

 in smaller numbers in Palestine and the Nile valley to Nubia. Definitely recorded once from 

 England (Sussex, June 1907). [F. c. H. J.] 



ORPHEAN-WARBLER [Xijh-id orphea Temminck. 1 French, fauvette orphe'e; German, 

 Sangergrasmiiclce, Orpheussanger ; Italian, bigia grossa], 



1. Description. Differs from the Sardinian-warbler by its much larger size, and from the 

 blackcap, which it closely resembles, by having the ear-coverts black like the head, whereas in 

 the latter species the ear-coverts are whitish. The sexes differ in coloration. Length 6 in. 

 [165 mm.]. The general colour of the male, as to the upper surface, is of a slate-grey ; 

 the head, including the ear-coverts, black very sharply defined from the whitethroat ; wings 

 like the back in coloration ; middle tail feathers black ; next pairs black tipped with white, the 

 outermost having the outer web white ; under surface of body white, tinged on the chest with 

 greyish buff and more strongly so on the sides of the body and flanks. The adult female has 

 the upper parts brownish grey, the head a trifle darker and browner, [w. p. p. and T. w.] 



2. Distribution. Breeds in North-west Africa from Marocco to Tripoli, and South-western 

 Europe, including the Iberian Peninsula, the greater part of France, Switzerland, and in small 

 numbers north to Luxemburg, Italy, and Sicily. From Dalmatia and Montenegro its range 

 extends southward to Greece, and in Asia Minor, Palestine, Persia, Afghanistan, and Turkestan 

 it is replaced by an allied race. The winter quarters of the western form lie in Africa, prob- 

 ably in the Sahara or the tropical west ; while the eastern form ranges south to SomalUand, 

 Arabia, and India. Four specimens have been taken in England (two Sussex, one each 

 Middlesex and Yorks), where there is a suspicion that it may have bred. [F. c. R. j.] 



BARRED-WARBLER [Sylvia nisdria (Bechstein). French, babillarde 6perviere; German, 

 Sperbergrasmiicke ; Italian, bigia padovana]. 



1. Description. Has the upper and under tail-coverts barred, and the bastard primary 

 extremely short and not reaching to the end of the coverts. The sexes are alike, except 

 that the female is browner and less barred below. Length 6 in. [153 mm.]. Upper sur- 

 face leaden grey ; lower back, rump, upper tail-coverts, and scapulars tipped with white, giving 



1 Strictly Sylvia hortensit (Gmelin), but this name has for many years been used for the garden-warbler. 



