396 



to, where a search for it will seldom prove unsuccessful. It delights in flitting from tombstone 

 to tombstone or amongst the undershrubs and few trees to be found there. It will allow itself 

 to be watched very closely, and reward the observer with strains of music which, if not of a high 

 order, strike pleasantly on the ear in an island not much favoured by the song of birds." 



The nest of the Spectacled Warbler, a somewhat loose but neat structure of dry grass with 

 a scanty lining of horsehair, is placed in a bush, usually not high above the ground ; and Canon 

 Tristram says that he found many nests placed about a foot from the ground in the centre of 

 small low bushes in the plains north of Biskra. This gentleman describes the nest as being 

 " deep and very artistically constructed," and adds that four or five eggs are deposited ; but 

 Mr. Salvin states that they seldom exceed four. Eggs in my collection, obtained by Mr. Salvin 

 at Ain Djendeli, in Algeria, are pale greenish grey, so minutely freckled with greenish brown as 

 almost to appear uniform in colour ; one specimen, however, is rather more boldly spotted or 

 blurred with greenish brown. I may best describe them by comparing them to the eggs of the 

 common Whitethroat ; but they are much smaller, measuring only |~jj by f § inch. 



The specimens figured are an adult male from Cagliari, and a female from Malta, these 

 being those described. 



*e> 



In the preparation of the above article I have examined the following specimens : — 



E Mus. II. E. Dresser. 



a, <$ . Southern France (Verreaux). b, d . Algarve, Portugal, April 1869 (Dr. E. Rey). c, d ■ Near Cagliari, 

 April 1863 (Salvadori). d, <3 , e, 2 . Malta, January 1863, and December 1862 (C. A. Wright), f. St. 

 Vincent, Cape-Verd Islands (Keulemans). 



E Mies. C. A. Wright. 



a, d- May 1869- bjuv. May 29th, 1869. c, d. February 1870. d, e,f,d. May 1870. g, £. June 1869. 

 h, ij, d,k,l,2. May 1874. All from Malta (C. A. W.) 



E Mus. Howard Saunders. 



a,d,b,2- Portugal, April (Dr. Reg), c, d, d juv. Malaga, September 20th. e, J . Sardinia, April (Salva- 

 dori). f, d . Malta, April (C A. Wright). 



