17 [Vol. xliii. 



Acrocephalus stentoreus amyae, subsp. nov. 



A small dark form of Reed- Warbler, similar to A. s. 

 brunnescens, but decidedly smaller and darker. 



In this race of A. stentoreus the under surface is darker 

 and more richly coloured than in A. s. brunnescens, and 

 so marked is this that breeding birds of the new race in 

 breeding plumage are darker even than winter specimens 

 of that bird. 



T^pe, <^, 12.4.05. Stevens Coll., No. 2650, 



Colours of soft parts. " Iris olive-brown ; upper mandible 

 and tip of lower mandible blackish horny, base of lower 

 mandible pinky horny ; tarsus bluish horny " (Stevens). 



Measurements. Wing 81'5 mm.; tail 67 mm.; tarsus 

 2d) mm. ; culmen 21 mm. 



Type-locality. Hessamara. 



Several nests and eggs were taken by Mr. Stevens at 

 Hessamara, and these latter are strikingly smaller than 

 those of the other races. 



An examination of the material available in the British 

 Museum shows that in the Acrocephalus group the wing- 

 formula appears to be of more importance than any other 

 characteristic in deciding what are species and what sub- 

 species, a fact we might have anticipated after an examination 

 of the European Heed- and Marsh- Warblers. 



Both A. c. stevensi and A. s. amyce follow the general rule 

 of tropical sedentary birds in being smaller and darker than 

 their migratory cousins, who breed in Temperate or Palgearctic 

 areas. I name these two interesting little Warblers after 

 Mr. Stevens and Mrs. Amy Stevens, their discoverers. 



The distribution of the Indian AcrocepJiali seems to be as 

 follows : — 



Acrocephalus agricolus. 



Wing-formula : first primary about 9-10 mm. ; second 

 primary = 6th to 7th. 



Breeding North Central Asia to ? Kashmir, in winter over 

 a great part of South-West Asia and in India to Ceylon. 



