614 



to Professor Schlegel, it occurs most frequently in the neighbourhood of Haarlem. Messrs. 

 Degland and Gerbe state that it is found throughout France in the summer season, being 

 especially common in Brittany. Professor Barboza du Bocage records it from Portugal ; 

 Mr. Howard Saunders has obtained it from Malaga, in Spain, where, he says, it remains 

 throughout the winter ; and Dr. A. E. Brehm shot a specimen in September at Murcia. 



Passing eastward, again, I find it recorded by Bailly as not unfrequent in moist localities in 

 Savoy. In Italy it appears to be rare, rather less so in the north, where Salvadori obtained it in 

 September. Bettoni asserts that it breeds in Lombardy, but does not figure it; and Savi only records 

 one instance of its capture in Tuscany. Professor Doderlein states that neither Cav. L. Benoit 

 nor any other ornithologist has as yet been able to obtain it in Sicily ; and the only authority 

 for its occurrence is the very doubtful one of Malherbe. I do not find any record of its occur- 

 rence in Greece ; but it is found in Southern Germany, though it appears to be nowhere common. 

 Dr. A. Fritsch (J. f. O. 1871, p. 195) says that it is rare in Bohemia. He obtained a specimen 

 at Lidic, near Schlau ; and Mr. Lokaj purchased three live birds at the bird-market in Prague. 

 There is, he says, a specimen in the Museum at Frauenberg. The Ritter von Tschusi-Schmid- 

 liofen informs me that " both old and young examples have been killed near Vienna, and it has 

 been observed in that part of Austria by Professor Jeitteles. Hanf says that it is rare in Styria, 

 being only met with during migration. He obtained a specimen in August 1866, near Mariahof, 

 which had fourteen tail-feathers, the central ones being twice the length of the outermost. 

 Scidcnsacher found it commonly in Croatia, especially near Trebec, frequenting meadows and 

 the high grass in the woodlands. It arrives at Siebenbiirgen late in April, and leaves in Sep- 

 tember, and appears to breed commonly in Galicia." In Southern Russia it occurs but rarely, 

 but may very possibly have been overlooked in some localities ; Von Nordmann says that though 

 he often heard its note on the banks of the Dnieper and the Bug, he only once obtained a 

 specimen. It has not been obtained in Asia Minor, so far as I can learn ; nor did Dr. Kriiper 

 observe it there, though he says (J. f. O. 1869, p. 37) that he believes that it occurs near Smyrna 

 during migration. It has been stated to occur in North-east Africa ; but observations made by 

 later travellers and collectors tend to show that the present bird is not found there, and it is not 

 improbable that Locustella fluviatilis has been mistaken for the present species. Locustella 

 ncevia is, however, found in Algeria, where, according to Loche, it is scarce and local; and 

 Mr. C. F. Tyrwhitt Drake, in his article on the ornithology of Tangier and Eastern Morocco 

 (Ibis, 1867, p. 427), says that he shot it in March. 



The present species does not, I should say, range further eastward than the Ural, where 

 it meets with its eastern ally, which I consider a clearly distinct form from our common Euro- 

 pean species. This eastern form (Locustella hendersoni (Cassin), Proc. Acad. Philad. 1S58, 

 p. 194) differs in being smaller in size and much clearer in colour, having the markings on the 

 upper parts much more clearly defined. The average size of my specimens of L. ncevia is — 

 culmeu 0-586 inch, wing 2-466, tail 2-316, tarsus 0-8 ; whereas that of Locustella hendersoni is — 

 culmen 0-543, wing 2-26, tail 2T33, tarsus - 783. That Locustella hendersoni is found within 

 the limits of the Western Palasarctic Region is certain, as Mr. Sabanaeff has sent me a specimen 

 from Ekaterinbourg labelled Salicaria locustella, which is clearly identical with Indian specimens, 

 and has even a shorter wing than any other example of L. hendersoni in my collection. 



