THE ORPHEAN WARBLER. 57 



Undoubtedly it must needs feed also on soft 

 fruits. The hen of this bird bears ati exceed- 

 ingly close resemblance to the Lesser White- 

 throat, except in size ; while the cock bird fur- 

 ther differs in having the black cap at all seasons. 

 There is likewise in India the Sylvia, or Curruca, 

 affinis, which resembles our Lesser Whitethroat, 

 excepting in being as large as our Common 

 Whitethroat. The latter bird has lately turned 

 up in the north-west of India; and the British 

 Lesser Whitethroat is the only one of the group 

 which extends its range eastward to Lower 

 Bengal, where it occurs, however, only above 

 the tideway of the rivers, upon the sandy soil in 

 which the Baubul ( Vachelia farnesiand) grows 

 plentifully. There I have observed our fami- 

 liar little friend in abundance during the winter 

 months, but never upon the alluvion or mud 

 soil ; and the same remark applies to Hippolais 

 rama. It has been suggested to me that there 

 may be a race of ' Blackcap ' that visits Eastern 

 Europe, the males of which have a rufous-brown 



