BIRDS FROM NORTHERN AND WESTERN PERSIA. 865 



was subsequently quoted by Tristram himself as a synonym of C. cetti. The type 

 of Cettia orientalis is an adult male shot on Lake Huleh, Palestine, on 14th May 

 ] 864. Dr. Hartert has seen this type and informs me that it is of the size of 

 C. c. cetti. I have seen in all the following specimens of this race : — from the Cas- 

 pian Provinces of Persia five males wings 65, 66, 66, 66-5, 69 mm.; from East 

 Persia, a male 64, female 68 mm ; from Fars in S. W. Persia a male 65, female 

 59 mm ; from Kermanshah males 64 and 67, female 60 mm ; from Amara in 

 Mesopotamia a male 64 mm ; from Palestine one female 54 mm. All these 

 specimens are pale like C. c. cettioides, the wing measurement of wliich is c^ 

 70-72.5,564-65 (Hartert.). 



Acrocephalus arundinaceus zarudnyi, Hartert. — Great Reed Warbler. 

 1 ? . Enzeli— 10th June. 



1 d" . Enzeli— 25th June. 



This race of the Great Reed Warbler was first seen during the last three days 

 of May. It rapidly became common in all the reed beds round Enzeli. A bird 

 was seen on 10th June carrying something in its mouth, presumably nesting 

 material. The bird remained common thi'ough the summer. 



These specimens have been compared with the type of A. a. zarudnyi at 

 Tring. It will be observed that I find myself once again in disagreement with 

 Zarudny who records the typical race of this species from N. W. Persia and 

 the Caspian and A. a. zarudnyi only from various parts of Eastern Persia. 



Acrocephalus scirpaceus macronyx (Severtzov.). 



2 cJ, 2 5, Enzeh— 10th-28th June (P. A. B. and R. E. C). 



This race of the Reed Warbler was found by Cheesman and myself obviously 

 breeding in bramble bushes growing on dry land on islands in the Enzeli lagoon ; 

 we failed to find nests, but observed one pair feeding fledged young. The birds 

 were exceedingly local and were practically confined to the bushes, though once 

 or twice I saw, but did not obtain, small Acrocephali in the reed-beds, and I be- 

 lieve that these birds were of the same species. Cheesman made a note that the 

 song and behaviour resembled that of the Olivaceous Warbler {Hypolais pallida). 

 Dr. Hartert has seen the skins and there is no doubt of the correctness of the 

 identification though they were found nesting so far from a reed-bed. 



Hypolais pallida elaeica (Lindermayer.). — Olivaceous Warbler. 

 1 c? , Enzeli — May. 



1 (5 , 1 2 , Astara — July. 



2 J . Tehran— June (R. E. C). 



I have no note of the arrival of the Olivaceous Warbler at Enzeli. It bred 

 commonly in the bramble bushes on the islands in the Enzeli lagoon ; at Astara, 

 on the Persian side of the frontier between Persia and Azerbaijan I saw family 

 parties in gardens on 3rd July. At Tehran Cheesman found three nests in 

 rose bushes in gardens on 6th June. 

 Sylvia mystacea, Menetr. — Menetries' Warbler. 



Menetries' Warbler arrived at Enzeli in the second week in April, the males 

 before the females, and bred in bramble bushes among the sand dunes along the 

 shore. I obtained no specimens, but can vouch for this record of a species with 

 which I became very familiar in Mesopotamia. I never saw it at Qazvin in 

 July-October 1919. Menetries' Warbler has already been obtained by Woosnam 

 on the S. coast of the Caspian (Witherby 1910). 

 Sylvia curruca curruca (L.) — Lesser Whitethroat. 

 1 5 . Enzeli— 25th April. 



The Lesser Whitethroat suddenly became common at Enzeli on 25th April. 

 There is no question of the identity of this specimen ; the wing measures 66 mm. 

 and the second primary is intermediate in length between the fifth and sixth 



