386 



and the late Mr. Seidensacher told me that though it breeds sparingly near Cilli, as, for instance, 

 at Lokroviz, he found it numerous in the central altitudes of the Bacher Mountains. Messrs. 

 Danford and Harvie-Brown found it very abundant in Transylvania ; I observed it in Rumania, 

 and have received specimens from Turkey ; and Professor von Nordmann states that in Southern 

 Russia it is a regular resident from April to September. As above stated, it is common in Asia 

 Minor; and Canon Tristram, who met with it in Palestine, states (Ibis, 1867, p. 84) that it is 

 only a spring migrant to that country. In Africa it is found during the cold season. Von 

 Heuglin says that it is tolerably common on passage in Egypt in March and April and from the 

 end of August to October, and also occurs in Arabia, on the islands of the Red Sea, at Kordofan, 

 in Nubia, and in Abyssinia. He adds that it is often met with far from water, in the desert and 

 steppe. In North-west Africa it would appear to be less abundant ; for Loche considers it to be 

 a rather uncommon species in Algeria, and Favier does not record it from Tangier. 



Eastward the present species is found as far as Dauria and China. A somewhat larger race 

 from Asia has been separated under the name of Sylvia affinis ; but I cannot think that it should 

 be held to be a distinct species, as it differs only slightly in size, and is a trifle darker in colour. 

 On looking over my series from various parts of Europe, I find that there is no slight variation 

 in shade of colour, some being much greyer than others ; and as regards size they vary as 

 follows — culmen 045 to 04S ; wing 2'5 to 2 - 65, tail 2*2 to 2'3, tarsus 075 to 08, whereas one 

 from Baluchistan measures — culmen 0*48, wing 2 - 5, tail 2T5, tarsus 075, and one from Etawah, 

 North-west Provinces of India, measures — culmen 0-48, wing 2 - G, tail 2*25, tarsus 075. Mr. 

 Blanford hail in his collection made in Persia a specimen from Khan-i-surkh, in Southern Persia, 

 which he considered to be referable to Sylvia affinis, and which measured — wing 2'8, tail 2T8, 

 tarsus - 8. Blyth, in his description of his Curruca affinis (I. c), states that it has the wing 

 "J j ; inches long and the tarsus y§ to f-, being darker than the European form in general coloration. 

 Mr. A. O. Hume, again, discriminates, under the name of Sylvia minima, a smaller race than our 

 European bird, from Sindh, which, he states, has the wing only 2 - 3 to 2 - 4 inches long; but, he 

 adds, that he found grave reasons for doubting whether a hard and fast line can be drawn 

 between this and the largest race, which, he says, has the wing 2 - 65 to 2*75 inches long, as 

 there arc so many specimens in his collection intermediate in size. In this view I fully concur 

 with him, and have therefore treated of all as belonging to the same species. 



Menctries met with the Lesser Whitethroat at Lenkoran, on the Caspian, in the spring ; 

 but neither Mr. Blanford nor Major St. John observed it in Persia, though the former obtained 

 five specimens, differing in no respect from our European bird, in Baluchistan, in the winter, at 

 which season, he informs me, it abounded wherever bushes or trees were sufficiently thick to 

 afford it suitable shelter. Mr. A. O. Hume says (Stray Feathers, i. p. 198) that it was no less 

 abundant in Sindh than everywhere else about continental India during the cold season ; and 

 Dr. Jerdon speaks of it as being found over the greater portion of India during the cold season. 

 Mr. Brooks states (Ibis, 1869, p. 57) that he thinks it breeds at Almorah ; and Dr. Henderson 

 (Lahore to Yarkand, p. 221) found it in Yarkand, chiefly at or near the foot of the hills, where 

 it is very abundant, especially in the tamarisk jungles. To this Mr. Hume adds, "amongst 

 the specimens obtained were nestling birds procured on the 15th August, right down in the 

 plains of Yarkand ; so that the bird probably breeds there in June and July." Dr. Severtzoff 



