585 



ACROCEPHALITS STENTOBETJS. 



(CLAMOROUS SEDGE -WARBLER.) 



Curruca stentorea, Ehrenb. Symb. Pbys. Aves, fol. bb (1829). 



Agrobates brunnescens, J erd. Madr. Journ. x. p. 269 (1839). 



Malacocercus abornis, Hodgs. in Gray's Zool. Misc. p. 83 (1844). 



Calamoherpe brunnescens (Jerd.), Blyth, J. As. Soc. Beng. xv. p. 288 (1846). 



Acrocephalus brunnescens (Jerd.), Blyth, Cat. B. Mus. As. Soc. Beng. p. 181 (1849). 



Calamolierpe longirostris, v. Mull. Naumannia, 1851, Heft iv. p. 27. 



Calamolierpe macrorhyncha, v. Mull. Beitr. Orn. Afr. t. 9 (1854). 



Acrocephalus stentoreus (Ehr.), Cab. Journ. fiir Orn. 1854, p. 445. 



Salicaria stentorea (Ehr.), Syst. Uebers. p. 23. no. 184 (1856). 



Acrocephalus orientalis, G. P. Gray, P. Z. S. 1860, p. 349 (nee Schl.). 



Calamolierpe stentorea (Ehr.), Heugl. Faun. Roth. Meer. no. 64; Orn. N.O.-Afr. i. p. 287 



(1869). 

 Calamodyta meridionalis, Vincent Legge, Stray Feathers, iii. p. 369 (1875). 



Figures notabiles. 

 S. Stafford Allen, Ibis, 1864, pi. 1 ; Lahore to Yarkand, pi. xvi. 



Acrocephalo arundinaceo sirnilis seel rninor, rostro longiore et graciliore : remigibus secundo quintoque sub- 

 sequalibus, singulatirn brevioribus quam tertius aut quartus : maxilla saturate cornea, mandibula carnea. 

 versus apicem fusco-cornea : pedibus viridi-phunbescentibus : hide flavo-fusca. 



Adult Male (Etawah, 25th March) . In general coloration closely resembling Acrocephalus arundinaceus ; 

 but the wing is shorter, the bill longer and not so stout, the second (or first long) primary is about 

 equal to the fifth, being shorter than the third and fourth ; upper mandible dark horn, under mandible 

 flesh-colour with a dusky tip ; legs and feet greenish plumbeous; iris brownish yellow. Total length 

 about 8'5 inches, culmen - 9, wing 3 - 45, tail 3'3, tarsus 1*15. 



Adult Female. Resembles the male. 



Obs. In the series I have examined I find some little variation in size as follows — culmen 0"9 to l - 05, 

 wing 3*2 to 3 - 45, tail 2'75 to 3'3, tarsus l - 05 to l"17j but there is scarcely any variation in coloration. 

 The striation on the flanks, so well shown in Wolf's plate, does not appear to be at all characteristic or 

 constant ; for I find that, as in Acrocephalus arundinaceus, some are striated and others lack these 

 markings entirely ; indeed, of two examples in the collection of Captain Shelley, both males, shot in 

 March, one is striated and the other is not. 



I 



The range of the present species extends from Palestine and North-east Africa eastward through- 

 out India ; but I scarcely think that, as stated by Dr. Jerdon, it ranges into China. 



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