BOOTED REED WARBLER. 13 



bourhood of Calcutta upon the mud soil; but higher up the river 

 Hugli, where sand prevails, it is tolerably common, in the cold season 

 frequenting the bush jungle." 



Upon this Canon Tristram remarks, "Ibis," 1870, p. 493: — "I have 

 lately received some very interesting series of Indian passerine birds, 

 from my friend and zealous ornithological colleague Mr. Brooks, which 

 throw light on the geographical distribution of several species. 



"First I find, as Mr. Blyth had previously noted, ('Ibis,' 1867, p. 

 24,) Phyllopneuste rama (Sykes) is apparently identical with Sylvia 

 caligata (Licht.), and breeds in Northern Asia; but Mr. Blyth at 

 the same time suggested that possibly Hypolais elaica might also 

 be identical. On comparison, however, I find this to be very 

 distinct." 



Mr. Tristram says that in Temminck's description the length of the 

 tarsus has been exaggerated, and that all subsequent writers upon 

 European birds have fallen into the same mistake. Mr. Tristram does 

 not, however, tell us what the measurement ought to be, nor in what 

 work Temminck's measurements are to be found. 



In the "'Ibis" for 1871, p. 83, Mr. Hume doubts the identity of 

 Sylvia caligata and P. rama, and upon the authority of M. Verreaux 

 claims for the former the rank of a new Indian species. Mr. Hume 

 goes on to say more suo: — "Mr. Tristram goes I believe by the 

 British Museum specimen of S. scita. Who knows that this specimen 

 is correctly named? If it be so, how can M. Verreaux have named 

 an altogether different species S. caligata vel scita ? Where is the 

 type specimen of S. scita? This seems to be a matter worthy of 

 further enquiry." 



Mr. Blandford, however, in the "Ibis" for 1874, p. 79, -after exam- 

 ining the Berlin specimen of Lichtenstein, has declared his opinion to 

 be, in his own words: — "The various forms described as Salicaria 

 elaica (Lin derm ay er), Curruca pallida (Hemp, and Ehr.), Sylvia 

 caligata (Licht.), Sylvia rama (Sykes), and Jerdonia agricolensis (Hume) , 

 all I believe belong to one species, varying much in size and slightly 

 in structure, and belonging to the genus Hypolais. The western form 

 H. pallida, H. and ~Ei., = elaica, Lindermayer, has a rather broader 

 bill, and is a somewhat larger form than H. caligata, Licht. =rama, 

 Sykes, whilst H. agricolensis, Hume, is a still smaller race; but all 

 pass, I think, into each other so thoroughly that I cannot distinguish 

 the different forms. The type specimen of Sylvia caligata has I 

 believe the bill distorted or altered." 



I will copy at length a translation of Count Miihle's original notice 

 of this bird, omitting such parts of it as have been already quoted. 



