51 



THE ORPHEAN WARBLER. 



{Sylvia orphea.) 



I "HE Orphean Warbler, as its name implies, 

 -*- is another noted song bird ; but, though 

 not uncommon in some parts of Europe and 

 Asia, its claim to be included amongst our British 

 warblers rests on very slender grounds. So 

 long ago as July, 1848, a pair of this species 

 were observed in a small plantation near We- 

 therby, and the hen bird was shot and for- 

 warded to Sir William Milner, who informed 

 Mr. Yarrell of the fact. On this single instance 

 it was included by the last-named naturalist in 

 his " History of British Birds." Since the last 

 edition of that work was published {1856), 

 there is reason to believe that the Orphean 

 Warbler has occurred again at least on two 

 occasions in England. In June, 1866, the late 

 Sergeant- Major Hanley, of the ist Life Guards, 

 well known as a bird fancier, purchased a young 



