78 LESSER BUFOUS WABBLE B. 



originally described from Caucasia, is probably that found in Southern 

 Russia and Persia." 



Yon Heuglin ("Ibis/' 1869, p. 84) says, — "I am unable to detect 

 any specific distinction between Aedon galactodes, A. familiaris, and 

 A. minor. Brehm says he observed A. minor on the coast of Abyssinia. 

 The specimens collected by me near Masana, and on the Adail coast, 

 are indeed perceptibly smaller than Egyptian examples; the other 

 characters again suit better with A. familiaris.'''' 



The so-called species, A. minor, is clearly referable to A. familiaris, 

 and Heuglin says that the difference in the primaries, upon which 

 Cabanis founded the species, does not exist. 



The habits of A. familiaris are very similar to those of A. galac- 

 todes. It is uncertain which bird Heuglin was describing when he 

 wrote as follows under the head of A. galactodes (op. cit.) "It lives 

 in gardens, reed-thickets, cotton-fields, mimosa-woods, hedges and 

 ditches, and usually shows less preference than the Nightingale for 

 very shady and dense underwood; it also differs from the Nightingale 

 in its song, call-note, and general behaviour. It pleases by its rather 

 shy and yet lively nature, which somewhat reminds one of that of 

 a Thrush. It often flutters quickly from twig to twig up to the 

 very top of a tree, constantly moving, spreading, and closing its 

 tail; soon it is seen running about briskly on the bare ground, or 

 under the bushes and dry grass, hunting for worms and caterpillars; 

 suddenly it emits a Thrush-like cry of fear, and flies noisily into 

 the bushes. The birds of each pair keep together; the breeding 

 begins as early as the end of April. As to its nesting-place the 

 bird is not particular; and we found the nest in pomegranate, 

 cotton, and tamarisk bushes, upon low mimosa trees, half concealed 

 in grass, and in thin hedges, in gardens, and in the immediate 

 vicinity of buildings and the busy noise of men, as well as in 

 deserted solitary places or in quiet mimosa groves. It resembles that 

 of the Blackcap, consists of fine grasses, rootlets, horse-hair, wool, 

 and so forth; occasionally, but rarely, small twigs are interwoven in 

 it. The structure is slight, and not very thick or artificial. The 

 bird does not appear to lay more than four eggs; and I believe it 

 usually builds twice, even when the first is not disturbed. In 

 colouration the eggs have nothing in common with those of the 

 Nightingale; they rather resemble those of certain Reed AYarblers 

 and of the Wagtails. The young, as regards colouration, are scarcely 

 different from the adults. The sides of the breast are shaded with 

 rusty reddish and indistinctly spotted." 



I have four eggs sent from South Russia by Her Glitsch, and 



