128 LUSCINIOLA 



182. MOUSTACHED WARBLER. 



LUSCINIOLA MELANOPOGON. 



Lusclniola melanopogon, (Teiiim.) PI. col. 245, fig. 2 (1823) ; (Naumann), 

 xiii. p. 456, Taf. 370, fig. 3 ; Dresser, ii. p. 605, pi. 90, fig. 1 ; 

 Seebohm, Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 132 ; (Oates), F. Brit. Ind. Birds, i. 

 p. 369. 



$ ad. (Egypt). Crown and nape blackish edged with rufous brown ; 

 upper parts rufous brown streaked with dark brown ; rump and upper 

 tail -co verts plain rufous brown ; wings and tail brown externally margined 

 with rufous brown ; under parts under wing-coverts and axillaries white ; 

 the breast and flanks washed with buff; superciliary stripe white and 

 broad ; bill dark greenish brown above, lower mandible paler and fleshy at 

 the base ; legs greenish brown ; iris brown. Culinen 0'52, wing 2'2, tail 

 2'1, tarsus 0'72 inch ; first quill 0'3 longer than the coverts, and 0*85 

 shorter than the second, which is 0'2 shorter than the 3rd which is about 

 equal to the 4th and 5th. 



Hob. Both sides of the Mediterranean as far north as central 

 France, eastward through Asia Minor, the Caucasus, and 

 Transcaspia to Persia and Turkestan, and in winter to India, 

 In south Europe and north Africa it is a resident. 



Frequents damp and marshy localities, especially dense reed- 

 beds, where the herbage is so dense that it is difficult to work 

 one's way through it, and being shy and unobtrusive it is most 

 difficult to obtain this bird, for it creeps through the tangled 

 herbage with the greatest ease, and but rarely ventures into the 

 open. Its note is described as being a jarring sound. 



It nests in Hungary and on the lower Volga in April and 

 May. The nest is carefully concealed in bunches of, and 

 amongst the roots of reeds, and is constructed of flat grasses 

 and roots, and the eggs 4 to 5 in number resemble those of the 

 Sedge- Warbler, but have a somewhat greener ground colour and 

 are minutely spotted all over the surface with brown. In size 

 they measure about 0*72 by 0'53. 



183. SPOTTED BUSH- WARBLER. 

 LUSCINIOLA THORACICA. 



Lusciniola thoracica, (Blyth), J.A.S. Beng. xiv. p. 584 (1845) ; Seebohm, 

 Cat. B. Br. Mus. v. p. 124, pi. vi. fig. 1 ; Pleske, Orn. Ross. ii. 

 p. 416 ; (Oates), F. Brit. Ind. Birds, i. p. 363 ; (Tacz.) F. 0. Sib. 0. 

 p. 250 ; Salicaria affinis, Hodgs. in Gray's, Zool. Misc. p. 82 (1844 

 desc. mell.) ; (David and Oust.) Ois. Chine, p. 247. 



