166 TEE ZOOLOGIST. 



hair is often added as a lining. I could never make out how 

 long the birds take to build it. 



The eggs, generally five in number, very rarely six, are of a 

 light greenish-white boldly speckled with olive-brown. 



I found nests in March, April, and May. 



7. Orphean Warbler. 

 Sylphia orphea, Temm. — Beccafic abjad. 



Of this species, which is one of our rare Spring and Autumn 

 visitors, I found five nests in 1907. All of them were built in the 

 larger carob-trees, at a position somewhat elevated from the 

 ground. Of these five nests, I must confess only one was iden- 

 tified from the sitting bird ; the other four, however, being 

 identical with it in shape, position, and construction-material, 

 also in the size and colour of the eggs, I think I am quite 

 iustified in ascribing them to this species. 



In structure these nests were rather loose, though cup- 

 shaped, the material used in their construction being dried 

 stalks of grass and fine roots ; they were very sparingly lined 

 with vegetable down, and one nest had some skeleton leaves of 

 the thistle interwoven in the outside. 



The eggs, four to five in number, were of a greenish-white 

 speckled all over with light olive and grey, the markings being 

 more confluent about the thicker end. 



Two of the nests I found in April, the other three in May. 



8. Dartford Warbler. 



Melizophilus undatus, Bodd. — Ghasfur tas'sigiar ahmar. 



This very irregular and rare visitor was included in 

 Schembri's catalogue on the authority of Dr. Grech Delicata, and 

 the same fact was also reported by Wright. This rarity might 

 perhaps be due in part to the bird's retiring habits, frequenting 

 as it does dense foliage, and very seldom taking to flight, and 

 thus easily escaping detection by even the keenest observer. 



It seemed to be pretty common in 1910-11, during which 

 years I found several nests, only three of which were identified 

 from the sitting bird ; the others, however, being identical with 

 them in every respect, I ascribe them to this species. All of 



