THE WILLOW- WARBLERS. 205 



with small rictal bristles, and there are some supplementary 

 bristles in front of the rictal series. The tail is slightly forked, 

 and consists of twelve tail-feathers. The axillaries and under 

 wing-coverts are yellow, a character which will distinguish them 

 from all the other English Warblers. 



I. THE WOOD-WARBLER. PHYLLOSCOPUS SIBILATOR. 



Motodlla sibilatrix, Bechst, Naturg., Deutschl., iv., p. 688 



Phyllopneuste sylvicola, Macg., Br. B., ii., p. 364 (1839). 

 Phylloscopus sibilatrix. Newt. ed. Yarr., i., p. 427 (1873); 



Dresser, B. Eur., ii., p. 497, pi. 77 (1876) ; Seeb., Cat. B. 



Brit. Mus., v., p. 54 (1881); id. Br. B., p. 436 (1883); 



B. O. U. List. Br. B. p. 17(1883); Lilford, Col. Fig. 



Brit. B., pt. iii. (1885) ; Saunders, Man., p. 65 (1889). 

 Phylloscopus sibilator, Salvad. Elench. Ucc. Ital., p. 133 (1886). 



Adult Male. General colour above yellowish-green, rather 

 clearer on the head and rump ; wing-coverts dusky-brown, 

 edged with yellowish-green, inclining to paler yellow towards 

 the ends of the greater series ; primary-coverts and quills dusky- 

 brown, edged with yellowish-green, more broadly on the inner 

 secondaries, which are fringed with whitish at their ends, a 

 small white fringe being also present at the tip of the primary- 

 quills ; tail-feathers dusky-brown, edged with yellowish-green 

 and narrowly fringed with white at the ends ; sides of face 

 clearer yellow ; a very broad eyebrow of sulphur-yellow ex- 

 tending from the base of the forehead to above the ear-coverts, 

 and followed by a dusky streak through the eye from the lores 

 to the upper margin of the ear-coverts ; under surface of body 

 white, the sides ashy-grey washed with sulphur-yellow; the 

 throat clear sulphur-yellow, followed by a faint greyish tinge 

 on the breast ; axillaries pale yellow ; under wing-coverts 

 whitish, tinged with yellow ; bill brown, the base of the lower 

 mandible pale horn-colour ; feet and claws light brown ; iris 

 hazel. Total length, 4'8 inches; culmen, o'6 ; wing, 3-1; 

 tail, 2*0; tarsus, 07. 



Adult Female. Similar to the male, but rather greener and the 

 throat not so pure yellow. Total length, 47 inches ; wing, 



