139 
A DIARY OF ORNITHOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS 
IN BRITTANY. 
EDMUND SELOUS. 
Wuitst residing in Brittany, I made some observations on 
the domestic habits of various small birds—mostly belonging 
to the Warblers. Those which here follow I believe refer to 
the Melodious Warbler, since on seeing a set-up specimen 
of this species, though the colouration was wan and _ faded, 
I was instantly struck by the strong resemblance, or rather 
identity of the shape and general appearance—more particu- 
larly in regard to the head and bill—with that of the birds that 
I watched. The nest (open—not domed) was also very similar 
to the one of theirs, which I took, after the family had left. 
When, however, I turned to the description of this species in 
the classified notes of vols. 4 and 12 of ‘ The British Bird Book,’ I 
was unable to reconcile it either with the actual stuffed example 
or my recollections from the life. An illustration of the Marsh 
Warbler might also very well have represented my birds, but 
here again the letterpress gave a still more inconsistent account, 
nor could [ find any other which seemed to fit. I have, there- 
fore, failed to identify the species, though I still suppose it 
to be Hypolais polyglotta. Personally I do not think the 
uncertainty very much matters, since I probably saw nothing 
that was not representative of the genus. My own field 
description of the birds I watched (dated July 16th), is as 
follows :—Head and upper surface, generally light brown, 
darker on wings; pale yellow eye-stripe; throat and whole 
under surface of a pale yellow (lighter on sides) except the 
under rectrices, which are brown; legs light brown ; beak, 
brown, but under mandible much lighter than upper one, so 
that it looks almost pinkish. The beak is pointed and dagger- 
like, and long in proportion to size of bird, so that, in some 
actions, the head and beak have almost a Kingfisher-like 
appearance. The eye is black. The yellow colour I have 
spoken of, on the under surface, though it strikes one as the 
bird’s chief characteristic, is, after all, very pale, so that, in 
the female, which is paler coloured than the male, it approaches 
to white. The plumage—and this too, is a marked feature— 
has a sleek and glossy appearance, as if it had been oiled and 
polished. This last, indeed, is a distinguishing trait of the 
family, but it appeared to me to be more marked in this 
species than in any other I have seen, though I dare not tale 
the responsibility upon me of saying how much more. 
MAY 22ND, 1909.—A Warbler that I have several oes 
seen here, but which is not, I think, one of our British ones 
(though doubtless like the [bis and Griffon Vulture, included in 
1915 April 1. 
