70 



brown instead of bright yellowy and the legs pale brown instead of pale lemon-yellow. The variation 

 in size is but slight, as will be seen from the following table of measurements of the specimens I have 

 examined, viz. : — ■ 









Culmen. 



Wing. 



Tail. 



Tarsus 









in. 



in. 



in. 



in. 



!us. H. E. Dresser. 



Spec 



a 



. 0-45 



2-1 



22 



0-75 



,, Tristram. 



: ) 



a . 



. 0-47 



2-1 



2-25 



0-75 



>> :> 



» 



b . 



. 0-45 



2-15 



2-25 



0-75 



„ Brit. 



)> 



a . 



. 0-46 



2-1 



2-2 



0-75 



„ Seebohm. 



jj 



a 



. 0-45 



2-12 



2-2 



0-75 



„ Rothschild. 



3} 



a 



. 0-45 



2-12 



2-28 



0-72 



When, in 1880, I published the article on the present species in the 'Birds of Europe,' the 

 information I had been able to procure was meagre to a degree, but since then further research 

 has added considerably to our knowledge respecting its range and habits, and specimens in 

 breeding-plumage have been obtained, so that I have had an opportunity of examining a fair 

 number of skins, and have satisfied myself that it is much more closely allied to Melizophilus 

 than to true Sylvia, and I have therefore decided to refer it to that genus. Until 1882 the 

 only specimens known were the three in winter plumage obtained by Canon Tristram in 1856 ; 

 in that year Messrs. Elwes and Dixon met with it in the Aures range, but mistaking it for Sylvia 

 conspicillata, they only brought back a single specimen. According to Mr. Dixon (Ibis, 1882, 

 p. 565), " Tristram's Warbler was in certain districts the commonest Warbler we met with. 

 Wherever there was vegetation sufficient to afford it shelter it was to be seen. It is a wary 

 little bird, yet far from being shy ; and its charmingly clear and musical song gives life to many 

 otherwise dreary solitudes. We found it exceedingly common in the evergreen-oak scrub in the 

 country round Lambessa, and between that place and Oued Taga. It was also to be seen in the 

 range of hills west of Batna, amongst scrub which our S. provincialis would select for a haunt. 

 This delicate little bird was much like a Dartford Warbler in habits, but much more trustful. 

 It would frequently explore the bushes a few feet from where I standing, daintily hopping from 

 twig, to twig, every now and then pausing to utter its sweet little song. When alarmed it would 

 immediately take to the shelter of the deepest undergrowth, reappearing again a few yards away 

 to hop about as unconcernedly as before. AVhen wounded, this little species will try and conceal 

 itself in holes and under leaves." 



Ten years later Dr. A. Koenig again met with it in the same locality as Messrs. Elwes 

 and Dixon, and to him 1 am indebted for the male bird in breeding-plumage, and also for the 

 following notes : — " The range of this rare Warbler appears to be very restricted. Canon Tristram 

 obtained the first three specimens in the Southern Algerian Sahara in winter on passage, but in 

 spite of the most careful researches I did not find it there in the spring months, though I met 

 with it at Batna in the Aures Mountains, and on its spurs, where it breeds, Dixon first met with 

 it there, and published some excellent notes on it, but mistaking it for Sylvia conspicillata, only 

 brought back a single specimen. It bears, however, comparatively little resemblance to that 

 Warbler, but is much more closely allied to the Dartford Warbler. During the breeding-season 

 it inhabits the localities where the Maquis vegetation flourishes, and it enlivens these places to a 

 high degree. This vegetation is common and characteristic throughout the entire Mediterranean 



