290 THE BIRDS OF HELIGOLAND 



individuals where this marking is most pronounced, the light eye- 

 streak has, in addition, a fine black border above and below, by 

 which the beauty of this already very conspicuous marking is 

 considerably enhanced. 



The flight-feathers and rectrices are edged by the same colour as 

 that of the back Besides the two characteristic bands, which are 

 formed by the broad pale yellow markings of the tips of the lesser 

 and greater wing-coverts, the three posterior flight-feathers . have 

 equally conspicuous broad whitish-yellow edges on their outer webs, 

 while all the secondary and some of the primary quill feathers have 

 pure white edges at the tips, which end in a point on the shaft. 



All these markings are less pronounced in females and young 

 birds. 



The bill and feet are of a light horn colour, the former with a 

 blackish tip, the latter with yellowish soles. 



The measurements of this species, as taken from many freshly- 

 killed specimens, are as follows : Total length, from 3'58 to 4'10 ins. 

 (91 to 104 mm.); length of wing in repose, T92 to 2'24 ins. (49 to 

 57 mm.); length of tail, T38 to T50 in. (35 to 38 mm.); length of 

 tail uncovered by wings, -59 to '71 in. (15 to 18 mm.) ; length of 

 beak, - 27 to - 32 in. (7 to 8 mm.); average length of tarsus, 71 in. 

 (18 7)i7>i.). The smaller measurements are not always confined to 

 the females ; thus, one of the two examples which were met with in 

 the spring was a male with exceptionally pure and beautiful mark- 

 ings, and nevertheless almost the smallest of all the examples of 

 this species ever obtained here. 



In the wings the second flight-feather is of the same length as 

 the seventh ; the third, fourth, and fifth are of equal length, and 

 form the tip of the wing in some cases the fifth is hardly per- 

 ceptibly shorter; the last posterior flight-feather is generally of 

 equal length with the last, i.e. the tenth of the primaries. The tail 

 as a rule appears slightly furcate, the central pair of feathers being 

 usually a little shorter than the lateral pair. 



The bill in its whole conformation possesses the typical features 

 of that organ in the Warbler family, and is very plainly distinguished 

 from the long- pointed bill of the Crested Wrens. Measurements are 

 of little further use for proving anything in this respect, since the 

 deviations in objects of such small size are too insignificant to be of 

 much value; when, however, these parts of the two species are 

 examined under a magnifier, the differences become apparent in a 

 most striking manner. 



For a long time nothing definite was known as to the home of 

 this species ; it was hardly suspected that it could extend beyond 

 northern Siberia, of which fact there seems to be now no longer 



