•24 FANTAIL WARBLER. 



by Temminck, in the first edition of the "Manual," from skins brought 

 to him from Portugal, by M.M. Link and HofFraansegg, and was 

 subsequently taken by Natterer in some plenty at Algesiras, in the 

 neighbourhood of Gibraltar. It belongs to the genus Cysticola of 

 Lesson and Bonaparte, and is closely allied to the so-called Beutel- 

 singers which inhabit especially Asia, Africa, and New Holland, 

 bearing, as Count Miihle observes, the same relation to the other 

 Warblers as the Beutel Titmouse does to the other Titmice. 



Salvadori, "Fauna d'ltalia," says: — "It is common and stationary in 

 Sardinia and Sicily, where however many do not arrive till winter. 

 It is, however, common in Rome, Tuscany, Modena, Liguria, and 

 Lombardy, but only in the spring and summer (buona stagione.) It 

 also occurs in Piedmont and Venetia, but not very frequently. It is 

 not found in Malta." 



Doderlein says of this bird that it is stationary and common in 

 Sicily throughout the year, but rather more abundant in autumn and 

 winter. It lives in marshy places and among fruit trees, and in the 

 birch woods near the sea. Mina says it is also found in the fields 

 at the foot of Madonie. Near Palermo it appears in all seasons in 

 the marshy grounds of Mondello and Ficarazzi, where it is hidden 

 among the myrtle. From hence it takes short flights into the air to 

 fall again with light somersaults into the same bushes. In summer 

 this bird goes into the higher valleys of the island, and near Palermo 

 several couples nested near the sources of the river Oreto. It may, 

 however, breed in the lower parts of the country, as in July and 

 August some young birds were found nearly fully fledged in the 

 neighbourhood of Mondello. They are also stationary and common 

 in Sardinia. 



It is found in Portugal, the marshes near Pome, Tuscany, Sardinia, 

 and Sicily, where it is very common. In France it is principally 

 found on the banks of the Var, and the marshy country of Camargue. 

 It is found along the whole shore of the Mediterranean, is plentiful 

 in Greece and Spain, and ranges to Algeria, Cape Lopez, Zanzibar, 

 Madagascar, Palestine, Asia Minor, the whole of India south of the 

 Himalayas, North and South China, Formosa, Java, and even to the 

 south of Siberia. 



Count Miihle remarks, "that it appears always lively and cheerful, 

 winter or summer. It loves to live among sedges and rushes in 

 ponds and swamps, and may be often seen rocking itself with evident 

 pleasure on the top of the papyrus plants, ( Cyperus papyrus. J In 

 summer it dwells by choice in swampy grounds, and when these 

 become cold and bare in winter it resorts to the high grass of the 



