393 



SYLVIA CONSPICILLATA. 



(SPECTACLED WARBLER.) 



Sylvia conspicillata, Marm. Mem. Ace. Scienz. Torino, August 1819, fide Temm. Man. 



d'Orn. i. p. 211 (1820). 

 Curruca conspicillata (Marm.), Boie, Isis, 1822, p. 552. 

 Sylvia icterops, Menetr. Cat. rais. p. 34 (1832). 

 Sterparola conspicillata (Marm.), Bp. Ucc. Eur. p. 37 (1842). 

 Stoparola conspicillata (Marm.), Bp. Cat. Parzud. p. 6 (1856). 

 Ahoscus conspicillata (Marm.), G. R. Gray, Hand-list, p. 212, no. 3007 (1869). 



Babillarde a lunettes, French ; Sterpozzola di Sardegna, Italian ; Ghasfur-el-harmb, Maltese. 



Figurce notabiles. 

 Temminck, PI. Col. 6. fig. 1 ; Werner, Atlas, Insectivores, pi. 44 ; Gould, B. of Eur. p. 126. 



cf ad. pileo et capitis lateribus schistaceis, loris et regione ad basin maxillse nigris : dorso brunneseenti-cinereo, 

 uropygio et supracaudalibus cinereis : remigibus saturate fuscis, primariis vix et secundariis conspicue 

 fulvido marginatis : rectrice extima. utrinque alba, rhachi fusca, secunda, et tertia nigro-fuscis albo 

 apicatis, reliquis nigro-fuscis : mento et gula albis, hac centraliter et gutture cinereis : pectore, hypo- 

 chondriis et subcaudalibus rufescentibus vix rosaceo tinctis : abdomine centrali albo : rostro corneo, ad 

 basin flavicante : iride fusca, marginibus palpebrarum rubris : pedibus flavo-brunneis. 



2 ad. mari similis sed corpore supra sordidiore : pileo cinereo, plumis brunneo apicatis : capitis lateribus et 

 loris grisescentibus et saturatioribus : mento et gula, albis : corpore reliquo subtus albido, pectore et 

 hypochondriis vix rufescente rosaceo lavatis. 



Adult Male (Cagliari, April). Crown and sides of the head to below the eye slate-grey, becoming blackish 

 on the lores and at the base of the bill across the forehead ; back brownish ash, becoming ashy grey on 

 the rump and upper tail-coverts ; quills dark brown, the primaries narrowly and the secondaries and 

 wing-coverts broadly margined with rufous ; outer rectrix ou each side white with a brown shaft, the 

 rest of the tail blackish brown, the central feathers browner, and the second and third on each side 

 tipped with white ; chin and the sides of the upper throat pure white ; throat otherwise ashy blue-grey, 

 becoming reddish on the breast ; lower breast, flanks, and under tail-coverts pale rufous with a rosy tinge ; 

 centre of the abdomen pure white ; bill dark horn, yellowish at the base ; iris brown, edge of the eyelid 

 red ; feet yellowish brown. Total length about 8-25 inches, culmen 0-4, wing 225, tail 2 - l, tarsus - 7. 



Adult Female (Malta, January). Differs from the male above described in having the upper parts duller, 

 the entire crown pale ashy with brown tips to the feathers, the sides of the head and lores being rather 

 greyer and darker ; chin and upper throat pure white, rest of the underparts white slightly washed with 

 pale rosy rufous on the breast and flanks. 



Young (Malta, 29th May). Upper parts as in the female, but browner, and without any trace of grey ou 



3H 



