426 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. 



lower part pure white, tinged with fulvous on the breast and 

 sides ; wings and tail olive-brown with pale edges. 



40. — Salicaria obsoleta, Sev., differs from the preceding by 

 having ten scuta* on the tarsi, and sharper wings ; quills : 3 7 4, 

 2 = 5 ; 1st abortive, twice longer than its coverts ; colour dirtier, 

 above dusty light grey-brown ; wings and tail somewhat darker ; 

 under parts, except the pure white thoat, fulvous greyish white, 

 as the superciliary stripe. 



41. — S. modesta. — Large-headed, tarsi with 8 scuta? ; 1st 

 abortive quill scarcely longer than its coverts ; Remiges; 3 = 4, 

 2 = 7. Colour of the preceding, only the light superciliary 

 stripe extending 0'2 behind the eye. 



42. — S. scita Eversm. — Beak small, laterally compressed ; 

 abortive quill 2j times longer than its coverts ; Remiges ; 

 J5747572 = 6. Colour almost of the following, but the head 

 not darker than the back, and the under wing-coverts pure 

 white. — Kerghi Steppe, Ural River. 



43.-/5. scitopsis. — Smaller than the preceding, or small as 

 Phyllopneuste trochilus; beak still thinner; tail shorter; abortive 

 quill twice longer than its coverts ; Remiges 3 = 4 = 5, 67277; 

 tarsi with 8 scuta?. Above greyish olive-brown, nape, wings, 

 and tail darker olive-brown, lower parts very pale, fulvous- 

 white tinged with olive, lower wing-coverts pale fulvous-olive. 



(b). Beak depressed on its whole length, shaped like Hypolais. 



44, — S. 'gracilis. — Beak short, relatively stout; colour 

 above with the wings and tail, dust olive-brown ; the same 

 colour, but much lighter, on the flanks and breast; throat and 

 belly whitish ; superciliary band white, reaching from the beak 

 only to the half length of the eye. Quills.* 1st, abortive 

 longer than its coverts, 3=4=5 7 7 7 2 7 8, or 2=8. Wing, 

 2-3; tail, 2'2 to 2-3; beak, 0-37 to 0-4. 



45, — s. concolor. — Lighter than the preceding, above pale 

 greyish brown ; wings and tail like the back ; lower parts all 

 whitish ; superciliary band reaching 02 behind the eye. Tail 

 shorter, all its feathers equal, except the outermost, which are 

 shorter. Quills : 1st abortive, somewhat longer than its coverts, 

 3=4, 2=6. Wing, 2-5 ; tail, 1-9 ; beak, 0-4. 



46. — S. tamariceti differs from S. gracilis by its considerably 

 longer beak, shaped just like that of Hypolais; colour lighter, 



*For the tail feathers you may read in Russian " Rulevoiya perya" = rectrices;, 

 " krdi" = edge ; " kramiya" — lateral; " Sredniya" = middle ; " makhovoiya" = 

 remiges ; " nedorodayashchiye"= abortive ; " ravno" = equal ; " kroyusch/ya" = coverts. 

 Sev. [The above is how I read the words, but it is the first time 1 have seen Russian 

 manuscript and Herr Severstov's writing is taut soitpeu difficult to read. We have no 

 Russian type and I have therfore been compelled to give the equivalent so far as I am 

 able in the Roman character, and if I have made any mistake 1 apologize. The English 

 text I have corrected, to the best of my ability, most carefully, but some words still 

 remain of which I cannot guess the meaning and I have therefore let them stand.— 

 Eu., S. F. 



