00 «") 



Chirehik, Syr Davja, in the Zarevshan valley, and near Lake Aral. It breeds to an altitude of 

 about 1000 feet ; but above this, where the grass steppes commence, he did not observe it, though 

 he found it again in the apple- and ash-tree districts. 



In its habits, note, and mode of nidification the present species closely resembles Aedon 

 galactodes. Lindermayer (I. c.) says that it frequents vineyards and olive-groves, and is fre- 

 quently seen on the roads near these, and he usually found it on the ground. It frequently 

 perches on the vine-poles or on the lower branches of the olive-trees, and from here drops on to 

 the ground to pick up a worm, beetle, or a grasshopper, as it feeds entirely on bisects ; and every 

 now and then it utters a note, tack, tack. Von der Miihle describes its song as being somewhat 

 like that of the Garden- Warblers, but monotonous ; and it is often uttered whilst the bird is on 

 the ground. When hopping about amongst the branches or on the ground it frequently spreads 

 its tail, showing the rich markings on it to the fullest advantage. Its nest resembles that of the 

 Rufous Warbler, and, like that species, it almost invariably places a piece of serpent's skin in 

 the interior. Lindermayer says that the nest is placed in the large branches of an olive-tree 

 near the trunk, or occasionally in the mud walls overgrown with creepers ; and he describes the 

 nest as being loosely and carelessly made of soft plant-stems, and lined with cotton, wool, or 

 feathers. Dr. Kriiper writes that the nest is large and bulky for the size of the bird, and is so 

 placed that it is easy to find ; it is usually built only a few feet above the ground, in the vineyard- 

 hedges, or is occasionally placed on the ground itself. During the day-time, he says, the female 

 incubates but little, especially if the eggs are fresh. He found the first eggs in 1868 on the 

 28th May, and in 1869 on the 24th May, and believes that it only breeds once in the season. 

 The usual number of eggs is five ; but old females occasionally lay as many as six. 



I have eggs of the present species collected by Dr. Kriiper which agree closely with those 

 of the Rufous Warbler collected by Canon Tristram in Palestine both in colour and size ; but 

 one is much paler than any of the eggs I have seen of that species. Dr. Kriiper remarks that 

 the eggs of this species are subject to great variation in tone, colour, and markings. 



The specimen figured, on the same Plate with Aedon galactodes, is an adult bird from 

 Karatau, in Turkestan, and is in my own collection. 



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



E Mus. H. E. Dresser. 



a, 2,b, 2, c,juv. Attica, Greece, July 1867. d, 6. Smyrna, Asia Minor, May 1864. e, 6. Smyrna, June 

 1871. /, 6. Smyrna, July 1863. g,juv.,h, $,i,juv. Smyrna, July 1871 {Kriiper). fc. Syria. /, ?. 

 Karatau, Turkestan, May 17th, 1866 {Severtzoff). 



E Mus. Berol. 

 a, b. Beyrout {Hemprich §• Ehrenberg) . 



E Mus. H. JB. Tristram, 

 a, cf . Smyrna, June 26th, 1871 {Dr. Kriiper). 



E Mus. II. Seebohm. 

 a,b,6. Itea, Greece, May 20th, 1873 {H. S.). 



