BRITISH BIRDS. 19 



and under tail coverts tinged with buff ; bill blackish ; 

 feet slate brown. Length 5*10. Female : browner above ; 

 length 5*00. Young scarcely differ from female. 



Common throughout eastern and southern England, 

 breeds sparingly as far north as southern Scotland, but 

 farther north only occurs as a straggler, as is also the case 

 in Devon, Cornwall, and most parts of Wales ; in Ireland 

 has once occurred, at Tearaght Rock Lighthouse, Co. Kerry, 

 in October, 1 890. Nest : shallower than that of S. cinerea ; 

 constructed of dried grasses bound together with spiders' 

 cocoons and a little wool, lined with fine vegetable fibres 

 and hair ; in hedges or brambles at a height of from 3 to 

 5 feet from ground. Eggs 5 or 6 ; opaque, creamy white, 

 sparingly spotted and blotched with brown and with 

 underlying lilac spots. Size '66 by '50. Two broods 

 appear to be reared. The insignificant song of male is 

 heard both in spring and summer. The bird arrives 

 about mid-April, leaving before October. 



24. Sylvia orphea, Temm. ORPHEAN WARBLER. 



Hab. South Europe, north to Southern France, east to 

 South Russia ; also Asia Minor and North Africa. In 

 winter migrating to Africa. 



Male : crown and sides of head black ; upper plumage 

 slate brown ; secondary wing-feathers with pale margins ; 

 tail dusky-brown, but outer feather on each side is mostly 

 white, and two next have whitish tips ; under parts white, 

 tinged on breast and flanks with brown ; bill blackish ; 

 tarsi dark brown. Length about 6 t oo ; wing about 3*00, 

 Female : duller in plumage. 



Two supposed occurrences are on record, i.e., a female 

 said to have been shot in 1848, near Wetherby, York- 

 shire, and a young bird recorded by Mr. J. E. Hailing as 

 having been caught in Middlesex, in June, 1866. 



C 2 



