40B 



districts, as at Jericho, whereas Sylvia melanocephala frequented the open scruh. There can be 

 no doubt that both species inhabit North-east Africa ; and Von Heuglin, who refers to both 

 under the name of Sylvia melanocephala minor, gives a description of Sylvia momus, stating 

 at the same time that he considers it to be only a local race, and not specifically separable 

 from Sylvia melanocephala — a view which I also formerly took, but have since found that 

 it is erroneous. The specimens in the Berlin Museum, collected by Hemprich and Ehrenberg, 

 were procured in Nubia and Syria ; and this Warbler has been obtained by Mr. Blanford and 

 Major St. John in Persia. The latter gentleman procured one in Southern Persia; and 

 Mr. Blanford obtained it in gardens in the highlands of Southern and Central Persia, where it 

 evidently breeds ; for he found young birds both in Shiraz and Isfahan. He adds that he 

 thinks this may possibly be the bird obtained by Jerdon in Southern India and described in his 

 catalogue as Sylvia cinerea. When I wrote the article on Sylvia melanocephala I could not 

 decide to separate the present bird from that species, especially as preserved skins of the two 

 are so much alike that a pale, faded specimen of Sylvia melanocephala is scarcely to be distin- 

 guished from Sylvia momus; but Mr. Seebohm, who has lately been working at the Warblers, 

 has pointed out that Bowman's Warbler always has a shorter tail than the Sardinian Warbler, 

 which enables one to separate it when other characters are indistinct. Moreover there appears 

 no doubt that freshly killed examples of the two forms differ very appreciably, inasmuch as in 

 the male of Sylvia momus the upper parts are of a much paler and clearer grey tinge, and the 

 underparts are white with a very slight or no grey tinge on the breast, but washed with rosy 

 yinaceous, which appears to fade soon after death, as I find scarcely any trace of it in the 

 preserved skins. Under these circumstances 1 think it advisable to treat this Warbler as a 

 distinct species; and the two names above given as belonging to this species (Curruca momus and 

 Sylvia bowmani) will have to be expunged from the synonymy of Sylvia melanocephala. At the 

 same time I must now acknowledge that Canon Tristram was quite right in the view he 

 expressed as to Bowman's Warbler being a good species. Respecting the coloration of the iris 

 1 am still very doubtful ; for, as before stated, I possess specimens of Sylvia melanocephala, 

 collected by Dr. Kriiper, which he informed me had the iris yellow; but in that he may possibly 

 have been mistaken, and it is very probable that the present species has the iris, as a rule, yellow, 

 and Sylvia melanocephala red ; this, however, cannot be decided until collectors take more careful 

 notes of the coloration of the soft parts of the two species. Blanford figures it as having a 

 reddish brown iris. There appears to be no doubt that the bird described by Menetries under 

 the name of Sylvia mystacea is Bowman's Warbler ; and it is somewhat remarkable that he 

 also describes it as having a chestnut-red iris. As his description appears to have been fre- 

 quently overlooked, this species having so generally been confused with Sylvia melanocephala, it 

 appears to me advisable to transcribe it, as follows: — " Elle est en dessus d'un beau gris fonce, et 

 uue calotte noire orne la tete des males ; les couvertures des oreilles sont de couleur foncee ; de 

 chaque cote a Tangle du bee descend une longue tache etroite et blanche ; le cou et la poitrine 

 sont de couleur vineuse, plus prononcee chez les vieux males ; le ventre est blanc, teinte de 

 rosatre et un peu cendre sur les cotes, ainsi que les couvertures superieures de la queue ; les 

 ailes sont brunes, et les pennes secondaires sont d'une teinte plus claire ; la queue est etroite, 

 etagee et noire ; la penne exterieure est assez courte en proportion, et au trois quarts blanche, 



