HYPOLAIS 



occasionally a few feathers. The eggs 4 or 5 in number, are 

 dull French white with pale purplish grey underlying shell- 

 spots and blackish brown surface-spots, irrregular lines and 

 scratches, which are often collected and form a wreath round 

 the larger end. In size they average about 0'61 by 049. 



163. BOOTED WARBLER. 

 HYPOLAIS CALIGATA. 



Hypolais caligata, (Licht.) in Eversm. Reise nach Buchara, p. 128 

 (1823) ; Dresser, ii. p. 541, pi. 84 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. 

 Mus. v. p. 85 ; Pleske, Orn. Ross. ii. p. 367 ; (Gates), F. Brit. Ind. 

 Birds, p. 393 ; S. scita, Eversm. Add. Pall. Zoogr. Ross. As. fasc. 

 iii. p. 1 2 (1842) ; S. salicaria, Naum. Vog. Deutschl. Arihang p. 78, 

 Taf. 375, fig. 2. 



< erf. (Turkestan). Differs from H. rama in being smaller, with a 

 shorter first and longer second primary and a shorter tail. Culmen 0'53, 

 wing 2-35, tail 2 '00, tarsus 0'85 inch ; first primary nearly 0'3 longer than 

 the coverts and T05 shorter than the second, which is 018 shorter than the 

 third, which is the longest. 



Hab. Russia, from Moscow in the west to the valley of 

 Yenesei in the east, north to about 61; the Altai, Turkestan, 

 Bokhara, Transcaspia, and Kashmir ; wintering in northern and 

 central India, south to Belgaum, east to Mudhupur and west 

 to Karachi and Hydrabad. 



It has occurred as far west as Heligoland. 



In general habits it differs but little from H. rama and like 

 that species frequents bush-covered localities near water, but is 

 also found amongst bushes on the dry steppes. It does not go 

 far in the mountains but affects the plains. Its song is said to 

 have affinity with that of H. icterina, and also with the song 

 of the Sedge- Warbler, and it sings both during the day and at 

 night. It breeds in May and places its nest, which is cup- 

 shaped and neatly constructed, either in a low bush above the 

 ground or on the ground amongst grass, constructing it of fine 

 grass- bents and plant-stems, fine rushes, hair, and a few 

 feathers, and lining it with fine rootlets, hair, and wool, and 

 sometimes a little ducks-down. The eggs 4 to 6 in number are 

 rose coloured or salmon colour, marked with a few purplish 

 underlying shell markings, and blackish surface spots and 

 dashes, which are rather more numerous at the larger end ; 

 in size they measure about 0'58 by 0*47. 



I 



