86 SYLVIA 



124. SUBSP. SYLVIA JERDOXI. 



tltlviajerdoni (Blyth), I. As. Soc. Beng. xvi. p. 439 (1847) ; Blanf. E. 

 Pers. ii. p. 172 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 16. 



Differs from S. orp/iea merely in having a larger bill, and the 

 under parts are whiter. Culmen 0'77 to 0'85, wing 3'15 to 3'20, tail 2*67 

 to 2'89, tarsus 0'95 to 1'02 inch. 



Hob. Montenegro, Dalmatia, Greece, Asia Minor and Palestine 

 to Turkestan and Persia in summer, wintering in Arabia and 

 the plains of India as far as Trinchinopoly in the south, and 

 Manbhoom in Chutia Nagpur in the east. 



In habits and nidification it does not differ from S. orphea, 

 but its eggs are a trifle larger. It is merely an eastern form of 

 orphea. 



125. RUPPELL'S WARBLER. 



SYLVIA RUEPPELLI. 



Sylvia rveppeW, Temm. PI. Col. 245, fig. 1 (1823) ; (Gould), B. of Eur. 

 ii. pi. 122 ; Dresser, ii. p. 417, pi. 65 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. 

 v. p. 12. 



ad. (Asia Minor). Crown, lores, region round the eye, chin, and 

 throat jet-black ; upper parts otherwise blue grey ; under parts white 

 with a rose tinge ; wings and tail blackish, the former margined with 

 whitish ; outer rectrix white marked with black at the base ; the next two 

 tipped with white ; a white streak from the base of lower mandible 

 extending backwards ; flanks washed with blue grey ; bill blackish brown, 

 yellowish at base of lower mandible ; legs pale brown ; iris dark brown. 

 Culmen, 0'58, wing 2*75, tail 2'58, tarsus 0'8 inch. The female lacks the black 

 on the head and throat, and is duller and browner in colour ; the young 

 bird resembles the female but is browner and duller, and the secondaries 

 are margined with dull rufous. In the winter the male is browner and 

 has the black tipped with dirty white, and the under parts washed with 

 greyish sandy brown. In very old females the crown is brownish black, 

 and the throat marked with black. 



Hal. Greece, Asia Minor, Palestine and Algeria, wintering 

 in North Africa as far south as Nubia and Abyssinia. 



In habits it is said to be sprightly and active, though not so 

 lively as many of its congeners. It frequents bush-covered 

 localities, both near water and in dry, almost desert places, and 

 feeds on insects of various kinds. Its call-note resembles that 

 of the Sardinian Warbler but I do not find any description of 

 its song. It breeds in April or May and places its nest, which 



