28 F ANT AIL WARBLER. 



the Mediterranean; it is not rare in Provence, through the whole of 

 Languedoc, in the environs of Montpellier and d'Aiques-mortes; it is 

 also very common in the Basse Camargue and in the rice plantations 

 of the Delta of the Rhone. This charming bird, of a very lively 

 disposition, is in constant movement. It may be seen to hop and 

 flutter through the tall plants seeking for small coleoptera, caterpillars, 

 spiders, gnats, and the small seeds which constitute its food. After 

 it has caught some insects it rises in the air, describing short circles, 

 uttering at the same time a piercing cry something like czi, czi, czi, 

 dwelling upon the last syllable. It stops suddenly, balancing itself 

 in the air for a few moments, and then continues its ascensions. It 

 mounts sometimes so high that it becomes lost to view, though we 

 still hear its monotonous cry, czi, czi. In a few seconds it re-appears 

 and descends in the same manner; on approaching the ground it falls 

 down like a shot, and rests on the branch of a tamarind tree or on 

 the extremities of the reeds; presently, if a male, it begins a babbling 

 which, though not without its charm, is a song of short duration, for 

 it very soon recommences its airy evolutions." 



Towards the end of March or beginning of April it commences 

 its first nest, which, as I have previously described, is a wonderful 

 structure. This first nest has not the elegance and solidity of the 

 second one, as it has not in that early period the same materials to 

 work with. M. Lunel mentions finding a nest in August with five 

 young ones pressing out of the top, which when he approached 

 jumped out and hid themselves among the tall plants near. Returning 

 some hours afterwards he found they had gone back to the nest 

 again, when he took care not to frighten them any more. This is 

 a rare thing among birds, but M. Lunel says he has observed the 

 habit in the young of A. arundinacea, Sylvia Cetti, S. cinerea, Hypo- 

 lais polycjlotta, and Alauda aroensis. The eggs are, as pointed out 

 by M. Lunel and illustrated by my figures, most variable in colour, 

 even in the same nest, being white, rose, blue, green, or white 

 spotted with rusty brown or clear red or russet. In France spotted 

 eggs are rare. In Algeria, according to Mr. Loche, such eggs are 

 the rule, plain ones the exception. 



The male and female specimens sent me by M. E. Verreaux, have 

 the upper parts strongly marked with black in the centre of the 

 feathers, with a shade of russet and grey on the borders; head and 

 neck varied with the same colours, and the rump red; throat and 

 middle of the belly white; the crop, sides of neck, flanks, and under 

 tail coverts russet yellow. Wings like the back; the primaries with 

 less black in the centre of the feathers; tail brownish black, the ends 



