CETTIA 137 



parts pale rufescent buff, the tianks and under tail-coverts pale reddish 

 brown ; bill brown, lower mandible paler ; legs pale brown ; iris dark 

 brown. CulmenO'6, wing 2'7, tail 2'5, tarsus 0'9 inch ; first quill O15 less 

 than the coverts, second longest, second and third quills much curved. 

 The young bird has the upper parts greyer and the under parts whiter 

 than the adult. 



Hal. Great Britain and Europe from Spain to the Volga, 

 and from Holland to the Mediterranean; North-west Africa; 

 Asia as far east as Transcaspia and Turkestan wintering in 

 Palestine and Northern Africa. Before the fens were drained 

 it was not uncommon in England, but is now very rare. 



A true marsh bird, this species is never found except in low 

 damp places, densely covered with reeds, sedges, and low bushes, 

 and is shy, keeping well concealed amongst the dense herbage, 

 and reluctant to take wing. Its call-note is a low krr t and 

 its song, which is uttered throughout the day, is a long smooth 

 trill, pitched higher, but possessing more tone than that of the 

 Grasshopper- Warbler. Its nest, which is placed low down 

 amongst the sedges, is constructed of flag or sedge leaves, 

 loosely and clumsily built, and the eggs, 4 or 5 in number, are 

 deposited in May, and are dull white in colour closely dotted 

 with bluish grey shell-markings and brownish surface-spots, and 

 average in size about 0*78 by O'Gl. 



CETTIA, Bp. 1838. 



194. CETTI'S WARBLER. 



CETTIA CETTII 



Cettla cettii (Marm.) Mem. Acad. TOT. xxx. p. 254 (1820) ; (Gould), B. of 

 E. ii. pis. 114, 115 ; (Dresser), ii. p. 639, pi. 95 ; Seebohm, Cat. B. 

 Brit. Mus. v. p. 135 ; Pleske Orn. Ross, ii. p. 634. 



Bee- fin Uouscarle, French ; Mascareta, Buscale, Span. ; Eossign- 

 uolo dipadule, Ital. 



<$ ad. (Spain). Upper parts chestnut-brown, wings and tail blackish 

 brown ; supercilary stripe dull white ; sides of neck greyish brown ; under 

 parts white, breast washed with grey, flanks, crissum, and under tail coverts 

 brownish grey ; bill dark brown ; legs light brown ; iris nut-brown. Culmen 

 0'55, wing 2'35, tail 2-55, tarsus 0'9 inch, first primary 0'63, shorter than 

 second, which is 0'35 less than the third, 4th, 5th, and 6th about equal 

 and longest ; tail of ten leathers only, and much graduated ; sexes alike. 

 The young bird differs only in having the plumage laxer in texture. 



