MELIZOPHILUS 87 



is neatly constructed of dry grass-bents and lined with hair, 

 on a bush. The eggs resemble those of the Spectacled 

 Warbler but are larger, measuring 075 by 0'57 and are greyish 

 white marked with greyish brown blurred spots, giving the egg 

 a marbled appearance. 



126. PALESTINE WARBLER. 

 SYLVIA MELANOTHORAX. 



Sylvia melanothorax, Tristram, Ibis. 1872, p. 296 ; Dresser, ii. p. 399, pi. 

 61 ; Lilford, Ibis. 1889, p. 319 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. 

 p. 28. 



ad. (Cyprus). Upper parts as in 8. melanocepliala but rather darker ; 

 wings blackish, externally margined with dull white ; under parts ashy grey, 

 but throat and breast black with whitish grey margins to the feathers ; bill 

 dark brown, pale bluish at base of lower mandible ; legs fleshy yellow ; iris 

 reddish, the ring round the eye red. Culmen 0'55, wing 2'35, tail 2'42, 

 tarsus 0'75 inch ; first quill about 0*2 longer than the coverts, second shorter 

 than the third, fourth longest. The female resembles that of 8. melano- 

 cepliala, but the head is marked with blackish ; under parts white ; flanks 

 washed with greyish brown ; throat and breast spotted with black. 



Hob. Palestine, Syria, Asia Minor, and Cyprus, where it 

 appears to be a resident. 



Frequents localities covered with scrubby vegetation near 

 the sea and to an altitude of 1700 feet and in its habits 

 resembles both S. melanocephala and MelizopMlus undatus, 

 frequenting dense lentiscus coverts and flitting with a jerky 

 flight from bush to bush. Its note is short and clicking, but I 

 do not find any description of its song. It certainly breeds in 

 Cyprus but its nest and eggs are unknown. 



MELIZOPHILUS, Leach, 1876. 



127. DARTFORD WARBLER. 

 MELIZOPHILUS UNDATUS. 



Melisophilus undatus, (Bodd.), Tabl. PI. Enl. p. 40 (1783) ; Hewitson, i. 

 p. 143, pi. xxxvii. ; Newton, i. p. 398; Dresser, ii. p. 441, pi. 69 ; 

 Saunders, p. 55 ; Lilford, iii. p. 48, pi. 24 ; 8. promncialis. (Gmel.) 

 Syst. Nat. i. p. 958 (1788) ; (Gould) B. of E. ii. pi. 129 ; (id.) B. of 

 Gt. Brit. ii. pi. 59 ; (Seebohm) Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 31 ; 8. 

 dartfordiensis, Lath. Gen. Synop. Suppl. i. p. 287 (1790). 



