488 RARE BRITISH BIRDS 



these parts a barred appearance ; primaries and secondaries smoke-brown, narrowly fringed on 

 the outer web with white; tail like the back in colour, tipped and margined on the outer 

 web with white ; under surface of the body, including the sides and flanks, white, subterminally 

 barred with crescentic bands of dark grey ; iris pale yellow ; bill dark horn, yellowish at the base 

 of the lower mandible ; legs horn-colour. The young birds lack the barring, and are grey above 

 and white below ; breast and flanks tinged with greyish buff. [w. p. p. and T. w.] 



2. Distribution. Widely distributed in the breeding season in Europe, from Southern 

 Sweden and the south shore of the Gulf of Finland east to the Urals and south to the 

 Black Sea, as well as in Denmark, Germany, Austro-Hungary, North Italy, Roumania, Bulgaria, 

 Montenegro, and Dalmatia. In Asia east to the Tian Shan it is replaced by a closely allied 

 form. The winter quarters of the European race lie in North-east Africa. In the British Isles 

 nearly fifty occurrences are on record, of which only three are from Ireland. [F. c. R. j.] 



SUBALPINE-WARBLER [Sylvia cantillans Pallas; Sylvia subalpina Bonelli. French 

 babillarde subalpine ; German, weissbartige Strauchsdnger ; Italian, sterpazzolina]. 



1. Description. Has the chin, throat, and upper chest reddish chesnut. The sexes differ 

 in coloration. Length 5 in. [127 mm.]. The male has the upper surface of the body, sides of 

 the face and lores bluish grey ; wings blackish brown with lighter margins ; tail blackish brown, 

 the outermost pair for the greater part white, the second and third outermost pairs with 

 an elongated patch of white at the tip, a clearly defined white moustached streak ; iris brown ; 

 eyelids reddish ; legs and toes brown. The female has the upper parts sandy brown and the 

 under surface white, tinged with light buff on the chest and sides of the body ; wings and tail 

 as in the male. [w. p. p. and T. w.] 



2. Distribution. The western form of this species breeds in Sardinia and Corsica, locally 

 in Italy, Sicily, the Riviera, Spain, and Portugal. In the Eastern Mediterranean and in North- 

 west Africa it is replaced by allied races. As a rule it is sedentary or only subject to local 

 movements, and it is extraordinary that specimens should have been obtained on St. Kilda 

 (June 1894) and Fair Island (May 1908). [F. c. R. j.] 



YELLOWBROWED-WARBLER [Phylloscopus superciliosus (Gmelin)]. German, Gelbbrauiger- 

 Laubsanger]. 



1. Description. Distinguished by having a double bar of white across the wings. The 

 sexes are alike, except that the female is a trifle duller. Length 4 in. [102 mm.]. Head, back, 

 and scapulars greenish olive, becoming brighter on the rump and upper tail-coverts ; primaries 

 and secondaries ash-brown, margined on the outer web with yellowish olive; greater and 

 median wing-coverts tipped with yellowish white, forming a double wing-bar ; tail feathers ash- 

 brown, margined on the outer web with yellowish olive, a well-defined superciliary stripe of 

 golden yellow ; cheeks yellow-olive, shaded with darker olive ; chin, throat, chest, and belly 

 white, tinged with yellow, darkest on the sides of the body and flanks ; iris dark brown ; bill 

 dark brown ; legs light brown. The adults after the autumn moult have the upper parts brighter 

 and greener, and the superciliary stripe and wing-bars much deeper yellow, [w. p. p. and T. w.] 



2. Distribution. Breeds in Siberia from the Ob valley east to the Sea of Okhotsk and 

 north almost to the tundra bordering on the Arctic Ocean. Southward its breeding range 

 extends to Lake Baikal, Transbaikalia, Ussuria, etc. Its principal winter quarters lie in 

 S. China, Burma, Assam, and Bengal, but it frequently wanders to Europe, and has been 

 recorded from the British Isles (about sixty), Heligoland (eighty), Holland, Italy, Austria, and 

 Germany, as well as Russia. It is replaced by an allied race on the Tian Shan, Himalayas, etc., 

 which winters in India. [F. c. R. J.] 



