530 



Swallow and House-Martin. As might be expected in a bird arriving so late, it is one of the 

 earliest to leave. Dr. Kriiper assured me that they migrate southwards as soon as the young are 

 strong enough for the journey. Many leave towards the end of July; and early in August very 

 few remain. This bird is very shy and retiring in its habits, seeking its insect food on the slender 

 branches of the trees it frequents, like a Phyllopneuste or a Partis ; and since it does not arrive 

 until the leaves are fully out, it is a bird which would very easily escape the notice of naturalists 

 who neglected to pay especial attention to the notes and songs of birds. Fortunately for the 

 ornithologist, if not for the bird, the song of Hypolais olivetorum arrests the attention instantly. 

 It is not likely to be mistaken for that of any other bird. It reminds you at first of the song of 

 the Sedge-Warbler in its loudness and in the rapidity with which the notes are uttered, but in 

 quality it is far superior. It would be a slight exaggeration to say that the Sedge-Warbler's 

 voice was as harsh as a Sparrow's, and perhaps an equal exaggeration to assert that the Olive- 

 tree Warbler's song was as rich as a Nightingale's. If somewhat monotonous, it must be 

 admitted that the notes are loud, rich, and clear. As its name implies, this bird confines itself 

 almost exclusively to olive-trees. In the valleys to the north of the Parnassus, where the olive 

 is not cultivated, I did not meet with it, nor did we by any chance hear its familiar song on the 

 mountains. It breeds in the olive-trees, making a rather slight and deep nest on the smaller 

 branches, often where they fork. The chief material of the nest is thistle-down, with a little 

 dry grass outside, and a few roots and a horse-hair or two as lining. The nest is very neatly 

 finished at the top with cobwebs or other similar material. The eggs are seldom laid before the 

 beginning of June, and rarely, if ever, exceed four in number, and are not likely to be confused 

 with those of any other European bird. They are decidedly larger than those of any other 

 European species of this genus, of the same pale reddish grey ground-colour, but not quite so 

 red as the eggs of polyglotta or icterina, though by no means so grey as those of Hypolais pallida. 

 The black spots are, if any thing, larger in proportion than those on the eggs of the birds just 

 named, and have the same tendency to run into streaks. The final coating of ground-colour 

 seems to be very opaque ; and the underlying spots are so pale as to be scarcely noticeable. An 

 average-sized egg measures f$ by f-§ of an inch. The spots are generally distributed pretty 

 evenly over the whole surface of the egg, sometimes, but very rarely, having a tendency to form 

 a zone round the large end." 



I possess the eggs of this species obtained in Greece and near Smyrna by Dr. Kriiper, but 

 can add nothing to the description given above by my friend Mr. Seebohm. 



The specimen figured and described was obtained near Smyrna in May by Dr. Kriiper. 



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



E Mus. H. E. Dresser, 

 a, 2 ad. Smyrna, May 19th. b, j ad. Smyrna, August 1st. c,juv. Attica, June 22nd (Dr. Kriiper). 



E litis. Acad. Cantabr. 

 a. Zante, May 21st, 1836 (H. E. Strickland). Type of H. olivetorum. 



E Mus. G. E. Shelley. 



a. Egypt (Rogers). 



