HYPOLAIS 109 



Hah. Western Europe and N. W. Africa, as far east as Italy 

 and as far north as Southern France, rarely occurring in 

 Northern France and Belgium, and has strayed at least once 

 as far as England ; winters in Africa at least as far south as 

 Senegambia. 



In habits, song, and nidification, it does not differ appreciably 

 from H. icterina, but breeds rather later, usually late in June, 

 and its eggs are not only spotted but slightly streaked with 

 deep purplish brown, and smaller, measuring from 0'57 by O'oO 

 to 0-69 by 0-55. 



158. OLIVE-TREE WARBLER. 

 HYPOLAIS OLIVETORUM. 



Hypolais ollvetorum (Strickl.), in Gould's B. of E. ii. pi. 107 (1837) ; 

 Dresser, ii. p. 527, pi. 82, fig. 2 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mas. v. p. 79. 



ml. (Asia Minor). Upper parts dull brownish grey tinged with 

 olivaceous ; wings and tail darker and margined with dull white ; edge of 

 eyelids and an indistinct superciliary stripe white ; under parts white, the 

 breast washed with pale yellowish buff, and the flanks with brownish buff ; 

 beak horn-brown, lower mandible yellowish at base ; legs dull plumbeous ; 

 iris dark brown. Culmen 0*73, wing 3'4, tail 2*8, tarsus 0'95 inch ; first 

 primary very short, only 1'2 long, second and fourth about equal, third 

 O'l longer than the second, and longest. The female and young are a trifle 

 paler and duller, and in the winter the under parts are rather greyer in 

 both sexes. 



Hob. Greece, Asia Minor, Palestine, and Algeria : of doubtful 

 occurrence at Valencia in Spain ; winters in Africa, how far 

 south we do not know, but it has been met with in Abyssinia. 



It frequents the olive groves in the valleys, and is very shy 

 and unobtrusive in its habits, seeking its food, which, like its 

 allies', consists chiefly of insects, amongst the dense foliage. Its 

 song is loud and of fairly good quality, resembling that of the 

 Sedge- Warbler in loudness and rapidity but is superior in tone, 

 and though loud, rich, and clear, is somewhat monotonous. Its 

 nest, which is placed in the fork of an olive-tree, is neatly 

 constructed of thistle-down and fine grass-bents, finished off at 

 the top with cobwebs and other similar material, cup-shaped, 

 and lined with a few rootlets and horsehairs, and the eggs 

 which are deposited in June, usually 4 in number, are larger 

 than any other of the genus, pale reddish grey in ground 

 colour, much paler than those of H. polyglotta, but not so grey 



