449 



there are some thick stunted bushes, I shot a pair of Marmora's Warbler, but unfortunately lost 

 both of them on the bushes: they were only winged. I was, however, close enough to identify 

 them, as, in trying to catch them, my hand was often within a foot of them. The beautiful red 

 ring round the eye I saw very distinctly. I visited the same spot next day ; but I never met 

 with the bird again." I find no record of its occurrence in Africa beyond what is said by Loche, 

 who speaks of one individual having been captured, but gives no particulars whatever as to where 

 or when it was obtained. 



The present species is said to resemble the Dartford Warbler most closely in habits, nidifi- 

 cation, &c. Dr. A. Hansmann says (I. c.) that it frequents the dense bushes, in which it can 

 easily hide. When it finds itself pursued it drops clown into the dense thicket and slips along 

 on or close to the ground, creeping with ease amongst the bushes, so that one can only now and 

 again catch a hasty glimpse of it. When undisturbed it may be seen on the top of a bush 

 singing ; but the moment any movement excites its suspicions it utters a short note (tale) and 

 dives down again. Mr. A. B. Brooke writes (I. c.) as follows : — " M. sardus is a bold little bird, 

 often hopping and creeping about confidently within ten yards, trusting to escape observation by 

 its diminutive size, dusky colour, and quiet unobtrusive habits. Their flight is feeble and wavy, 

 rarely extending any distance ; and on alighting it is often hard to see them again, as they creep 

 off close to the ground along the stems of the cistus, and by the time the spot they disappeared 

 in is reached they are thirty or forty yards off, perhaps in an opposite direction. They sing 

 either perched on the top of the cistus or, frequently, in the air, jerking themselves down again 

 into the bushes. Their song is very like that of the Dartford Warbler; but I do not think it 

 quite so grating ; their alarm-note is a single short tick, unmistakable when once heard." Herr 

 A. von Homeyer states (J. f. O. 1863, p. 90) that its song is very characteristic. It consists, he 

 writes, " of three portions, the first and third being a short not loud song, closely resembling 

 that of Sylvia melanocephala, but lower in tone — the central portion being something like the 

 song of Sylvia garrula, but not so loud, a clear ivedel, wedel, wedel, wedel, wedel, wedel, wedel. 

 When hopping through the bushes, a harsh call-note is uttered, like the syllables schrani, schrani, 

 or trim, trim, which, when the bird is quiet, are uttered after short pauses, but when alarmed 

 very rapidly." 



Unfortunately I have been unsuccessful in my endeavours to procure the nest and eggs of 

 this species. Dr. E. Rey says that its nest is usually placed in the azaleas (A. jpontica), and much 

 resembles that of the Dartford Warbler, but may always be distinguished by being lined with 

 thistle-down. Dr. Hansmann, however, describes the nest somewhat differently. He writes 

 (I. c.) as follows : — " The nest is usually placed in a dense thorn or myrtle bush, as the cistus is 

 too open. It (the nest) is constructed of dried bents lined with horsehair and a feather or two ; 

 it is rather deep, and not very firmly constructed, resembling that of the Whitethroat. The eggs, 

 four to five in number, are clouded with oil-greenish on a dirty greenish white ground, these 

 cloudings sometimes becoming blotches ; and in some there are red spots which have a bluish 

 ash tinge, and a black spot or a scratch or two of black. In size they are about as large as 

 those of the Goldfinch." 



Like the other allied Warblers the present species feeds chiefly on insects of various kinds, 

 though it varies its food according to the season of the year. 



