PALE WABBLEB. 149 



found here and in Morocco — elaica not occurring that I am aware of. 



Mr. Dresser has figured and described the bird under the name of 

 Hypolais opaca, stating at the same time that pallida is wanting for 

 elaica. Lichtenstein, it appears, labelled a specimen from Senegambia 

 in the Hein Museum as Hypolais opaca, but did not ■ describe it. 

 This was in 1851. Gerbe the following year described the bird as 

 European by the name of Hypolais pallida, ("Eev. et Mag. de 

 ZooL," p. 1T4.) Since this date, twenty-two years ago, the poor bird 

 has had three other names assigned it, viz: canescens, ariquois, and 

 fiiscescens. Mr. Dresser now makes confusion more confounded by 

 changing the name of one bird, and giving its well-known scientific 

 designation to another, which is so closely united that I have declined 

 to separate them. This is making us pay very dear for what is called 

 priority of nomenclature. 



A fine female specimen, sent me by Mr. Howard Saunders — and as 

 the sexes differ but little, this is the bird I shall figure — has all the 

 upper parts of a pale rusty-tinged olive-colour, except the wings and 

 tail feathers, which are brown, with the inner webs margined with 

 white, more slightly on the primaries. All the lower parts pale grey, 

 except the tail and lining of the wing, which are slaty brown, the 

 under wing coverts being white. Wing short, second and third true 

 primaries equal, and longest in the wing; first true primary equal to 

 sixth; bastard primary one third the length of the first true one. 

 Total length five inches and a half; carpus to tip two inches and 

 three quarters, nearly; tarsus one inch; tail from vent two inches 

 and a quarter; bill four fifths of an inch; breadth of base of under 

 mandible one fifth of an inch. 



The figure of the bird is from a specimen kindly sent me by Mr. 

 Howard Saunders. The e^^ is in my own collection, being one of a 

 nest of four taken by Mr, Saunders in Spain. It has been described, 

 but, at the time I am writing, not figured, by Mr. Dresser in his 

 "Birds of Europe." 



