322 



A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



CETTIA CETTI 



135. Cettia cetti cetti (Temm.) CETTI'S WARBLER. 



SYLVIA CETTI Temminck,* Man. d'Orn., 2nd ed., i, p. 194 (1820 Sardinia). 

 Cettia cetti, Nicoll, Bull. B.O.C., xrv, p. 84 ; Saunders, Brit. B., i, p. 9. 



DESCRIPTION. Adult male and female. 

 Winter. Whole upper-parts uniform dark 

 chestnut -brown, crown and nape usually 

 less rufous than mantle, rump and upper 

 tail-coverts ; narrow stripe from nostrils, 

 over and behind eye dull white ; lores 

 dark brown ; ear-coverts and sides of 

 neck pale greyish-brown ; chin, centre 

 of throat, breast and belly dull white ; 

 sides of throat and breast greyish-brown ; 

 flanks and under tail - coverts darker 

 brown, latter tipped with dull white ; 

 under wing - coverts greyish - white and 

 pale brown ; axillaries pale greyish-brown 

 tipped greyish-white ; tail-feathers dark 

 brown, outer webs fringed chestnut-brown ; 

 wing-feathers same but inner webs nar- 

 rowly fringed whitish ; all wing-coverts 

 dark brown fringed and tipped chestnut- (Cettiac. cetti). Tail from below. 

 brown. This plumage is acquired by 



complete moult in late summer. Summer. A moult confined to 

 the body, lesser and median wing-coverts, inner greater coverts 

 and innermost secondaries takes place in March, but some 

 individuals do not seem to moult at all in spring. 



Nestling. (Not examined.) 



Juvenile. Like adult but slightly less chestnut on upper- 

 parts, white of under -parts rather duller. 



First winter. Like adults. The juvenile body-plumage 

 and wing-coverts are moulted in July and August, but not primary- 

 coverts, wing or tail-feathers. 



Measurements and structure <$ wing 58-66 mm., tail 57-65, 

 tarsus 21-24, bill from skull 12.5-14 (12 measured.) $ wing 54-60. 

 Primaries : 1st broad, 9-12 mm. longer than longest primary- 

 covert and about half as long as 2nd primary, 2nd equal to or 

 shorter than 10th, 4th and 5th longest, 3rd and 6th 1 mm. shorter, 

 7th 2-4 shorter ; 2nd to 6th emarginated outer webs. Secondaries 

 rather shorter than 10th primary, tips rounded. Tail much rounded. 



Cetti's Warbler 



* Temminck's name was published Oct. 1820, whereas Marmora's Sylvia 

 cetti, Mem. Accad. Torino, xxv, p. 254, was published in November or 

 December, 1820. 



