NOBTEEBN WILLOW WREN. 161 



P. f areata, all the Chinese species of Pliyllopneuste ai-e^ according to 

 Mr. Blyth and Mr. Swinhoe, distinct from the one found in India. 



The above allusion to Sylvia javanica cannot, however, be correct, 

 as Horsfield's type of javanica is a Zostereps, whereas the identity of 

 S. syhicultrix and S. borealis cannot for a moment, I think, be 

 doubted. 



Dr. Meves, of Stockholm, has paid particular attention to the history 

 of this bird, and has given an excellent figure and description of its 

 frequent occurrence in North-west Russia, in the ^'Oversigt af K. 

 Katensk-Akad. Forhandlinger," from which I copy the following:— 



"I shot this bird when stopping in Twika, near Archangel, on the 

 8th. of August, in woods, and I heard its song up to Kopatschevskaja, 

 about fifty-one miles southwards. At this place I observed among 

 the upgrown large bushes, four or five green Leaf Warblers, which, 

 judging from the similarity of colour, I at first took to be true 

 varieties of Phyllopneuste superciliosa, Cabanis. I found out my 

 mistake when, some years after, I made researches among the fauna 

 of this country, and the observations I made were of the deepest 

 interest to me. After an autumnal hunt I met with some variation 

 in the colours of these birds; some had no apparent eyestreak. The 

 full-grown birds were of the dull green, as in tenthreclo and sopJiyrus, 

 which became brighter, and then turned into leaden grey. 



"The true call-note of this bird is 'tjattsch, tjattsch,' similar to that 

 of Muscicapa grisola or Sylvia atricapilla, and this I often heard as 

 I passed along my journey. I frequently saw the bird about one 

 hundred versts (forty-nine and a half English miles) from the station 

 of Pleselskaja, and afterwards I saw them no more between this station 

 and the sea. 



"Blasius, as Sylvia Eversmanni, has mixed up this bird with 

 Eversmann's Sylvia icterina as distinguished from Ficedula icferina, 

 Vieillot. The bird described by Middendorff as Sylvia Eversmanni 

 has much in common with S. horealis, and therefore Blasius assumes 

 their identity. 



*'The male bird which I shot I found on the nest. On the upper 

 parts it was grey green; the outer side feathers in the grey brown 

 wing, and the tail feathers light green; a broad band from the nostrils 

 to the neck olive grey. Underneath, on the sides, streaked with 

 grey, slightly or more so — lighter under the throat and along the 

 body; iris light brown. First wing feather very small; second longer 

 than the sixth, shorter than the fifth; the third longest. Tarsi covered 

 with six plates, the first very small, the second two thirds the length 

 of the tarsus. After the first moult, I observed the males without 



VOL. II. Y 



