65 



Zarudny to the effect that it is numerous in the southern portion of the Kara-kum desert." To 

 the above notes I may add that Dr. Badde brought back ten specimens from his journey in 

 Transcaspia. There, he says, it avoids the mountains, and inhabits the artemisia-covered 

 steppes, being less frequently found in the sand-country. Probably, he adds, stragglers remain 

 over winter in the lowlands, as he procured one at Bal-kuju on the 8th March ; but most certainly 

 the major portion are migrants, as in 1887 they saw a large number on migration, when in the 

 sand-country, on the 27th and 28th March. On the 25th April a female was shot at Bala-ischem 

 in which an egg ready for exclusion was found. 



Marquis Doria found the present species commonly amongst low bushes in the salt desert 

 near Yezd ; but' Mr. Blanford only once saw it in Southern Persia, on an open plain with low 

 scattered bushes near Yazdikhast, but he obtained it on two occasions in Baluchistan in rather 

 thick tamarisk-bush. 



In India, according to Mr. Oates (Faun. Brit. Ind., Birds, i. p. 396), it inhabits " the desert 

 portions of Sind, Bahawalpur, Rajputana, and the southern parts of the Punjab. To the east this 

 Warbler extends as far as Sirsa, Hissar, and Jodhpore. To the north I have not been able to 

 trace it above Bahawalpur. It is probably a resident species in all this tract, for Doig found the 

 young just able to fly in November near the Runn of Cutch." 



A young bird was obtained by the brothers Grum-Grzimailo on their journey in Mongolia ; 

 and according to Mr. Pleske (op. tit:), " On his first journey Prjevalsky records this bird only 

 in Alaschan and on the Lob-nor journey in the steppe portions of the Hi Valley. In the 

 Dzungarei it was only once observed at Dshair, in September 1877. Furthermore, a male was 

 obtained on the 4th April, 1879, on the Bulugun River in the Southern Altai. In the Chami 

 desert and at the foot of the Nan-schan, Prjevalsky found it sparingly, but numerous in the 

 Southern Alaschan. In 1885 it was met with early in May in the desert on the north slope of 

 the Russki Mountains, and in June in the oasis of Keria." 



In Africa this Warbler is found as far west as the desert portion of Algeria, and from thence 

 eastward to North-east Africa and Arabia. Dr. A. Koenig has recently met with it in Algeria ; 

 and in a letter just received informs me that it " inhabits the southern portions of the Algerian 

 Sahara, and even there is but locally distributed, as it affects only the desert portions amongst 

 the sand-dunes, where the soil is of a deep red or isabelline colour ; and in places where the sand 

 is pale in colour, and where the Limoniastrmn gugulianum plant flourishes, this bird is but 

 rarely seen, nor does it occur in the stony parts of the Sahara; but where hillocks are formed of 

 the reddish sand, and dune succeeds dune, places which are called by the Arabs ' blood-dunes ' 

 (Area el Dem), there this Warbler is generally to be met with. These localities are also 

 frequented by the Isabelline Crested Lark (Galerita isabellina, Bp.), which is here also a charac- 

 teristic species. This sand- or dune-desert produces a very rich flora, and here flourish in wild 

 luxuriance many genista-like plants, such as Metama retem, Linn., Caligonum comosum, L'Her., 

 Ephedia alata, Dene., &c, &c. I first met with this Warbler at El Mouliah, about 50 kilometres 

 south of Tuggurt. I had just taken a nest of Scotocerca Sahara;, and carefully packed the eggs, 

 when I caught sight of a small isabelline bird flitting Warbler-like not far from me, and at once 

 followed it ; but it was extremely cautious and shy, flitting from twig to twig as I approached, 

 and it was long before I had a chance to shoot it; but I at last succeeded in so doing, and 



