54 SUBALPINE WARBLER. 
Lord Lilford took the nest south of Seville early in May. On the 
African side of the Mediterranean this species is found from 
Tangier to Egypt; it is local in Italy, chiefly haunting the western 
slope of the Apennines ; common in Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, and 
other islands; abundant in Greece and the Archipelago; and 
extends to Asia Minor and Palestine. Its winter quarters seem to 
be in Northern Arabia, Kordofan and Senegambia ; but its reported 
occurrence in the Canaries seems to be erroneous, and due toa 
confusion with the Spectacled Warbler, to which allusion has been 
made on p. 42. 
The nest, of dry grass with a finer lining, is placed in a low bush ; 
the 4-5 eggs vary from greenish-white with brown spots, to reddish- 
white with violet-brown spots and streaks; measurements °55 by 
‘48 in. In Savoy only one brood is reared in the season, but I 
think that further south the bird is double-brooded, many nests 
being found in June. The male ceases to sing in July, when 
moulting begins. The bird is very active, working its way through 
low bushes like a mouse, then suddenly appearing and as rapidly 
dropping into cover again. 
The mature male has a red ring round the eye; crown, ear- 
coverts and back dull grey ; wings browner; tail-feathers greyish- 
brown, with a good deal of white at the tips of the outer pair; a 
broad white moustache-like streak stretching from the base of the 
bill backward ; throat and breast warm chestnut-red, flanks paler, 
centre of belly whitish. Less mature birds have paler underparts. 
Length 4°7 in., wing 2°3in. The female is less grey and more 
inclined to brown on the upper parts ; there is little sign of ruddy 
colour on the throat, and the flanks are nearly buff. The young 
birds resemble the female at first, but the males begin to show red 
on the throat before emigrating. 
