SYLVlINiE. 75 



upper parts, and greyish white on the underparts. It varies in length 

 of wing from 2'8 to 3"5 inches. 



Figures : Temminck and Schlegel, Fauna Japonica, Aves, pi. 19. 



The Large Japanese Bush-Warbler is a summer visitor to Yezzo, 

 but in Southern Japan it is a common resident (Blakiston and Pryer, 

 Trans. As. Soc. Japan, 1883, p. 156). I have a female (wing from 

 carpal joint 2"55 inches), collected at Hakodadi on the 19th of April, 

 1865 (Whitely, Ibis, 1867, p. 197); and there are fourteen unsexed 

 examples in the Pryer collection from Yokohama (wing varying from 

 2"75 to 2"5 inches). I have a female collected by Mr. Ringer at 

 Nagasaki (wing 2"5 inches) which is as russet as examples of Cettia 

 minuta from Formosa, but the tail is longer than the wing. There 

 are two examples in the Pryer collection from the central group of 

 the Loo-Choo Islands (wing 2" 7 inches), which are both typically olive 

 in colour. 



The Large Japanese Bush-Warbler is only known from Japan and 

 the Loo-Choo Islands, and is everywhere found in company with the 

 Small Japanese Bush-Warbler, which I thought to be its female 

 when I wrote the fifth volume of the ' Catalogue of Birds in the 

 British Museum.' Since then further evidence has been collected, 

 which, as far as it goes, leads to the conclusion that the two forms 

 are distinct species. 



Mr. Jouy collected a series of these birds on Fuji-yama and on 

 Tate-yama, and came to the conclusion that the large form is distinct 

 from the smaller one, but unfortunately his evidence is rather meagre. 



Of the large form he enumerates 5 adult males and 1 adult female, 

 whilst of the small form he only mentions 1 adult male and no 

 females. He further states that the young in first plumage of the 

 larger form have darker legs than those of the smaller form, but he 

 is unable to detect any other difference in colour either in adult or 

 young birds. 



The Japanese Bush- Warbler is a favourite cage-bird with the 

 Japanese, who value it for its song, which is not extensive, though 

 the few notes are sweet (Blakiston and Pryer, Ibis, 1878, p. 237). I 

 am informed that the Japanese do not recognize the existence of two 

 species. In its habits it evidently resembles its European represen- 

 tative, Cetti's Warbler, being found along the banks of streams and 

 in brush heaps. It utters a harsh scolding note when disturbed, and 

 has a Wren-like habit of cocking its tail over its back (Jouy, Proc. 

 United States Nat. Mus. 1883, p. 383). 



