!2 



merge into the brown on the upper breast ; under tail-coverts very long, pale brown, with broad 

 whitish tips ; wings similar in colour to the rest of the upper parts, without the olive tinge, except on 

 the outer margins of the quills ; first primary very short, nearly 0'2 inch less than the primary coverts, 

 and 1-8 shorter than the second, which is the longest, the latter being 0-15 shorter than the third; bill 

 horn-brown, dull yellowish at the base of the lower mandible ; legs dull flesh-colour ; iris dark brown. 

 Total length about 5| inches, culmen 052, gape 055, wing 2 - 9, tail 2 - 5, tarsus 085. 



Adult Female (fide Schauer). Resembles the male so closely that it is impossible to distinguish it with any 

 degree of certainty ; but, as a rule, she is rather duller-coloured than the male, and the stripes on the 

 throat are less clearly defined. 



Yuii ri(). Resembles the adult bird, but lacks the stripes on the throat. 



Si i far as is now known, the range of this species is somewhat restricted ; for it is only known to 

 occur in Central and Southern Europe during the summer, and it winters either in Southern 

 Europe or North Africa ; but, owing to its extremely secretive habits, it may easily be overlooked. 

 It has never been met with in Great Britain, nor yet in Sweden or Norway, but has once 

 ri imvd in Finland. Professor Malmgren, in a letter to 'The Ibis' (1870, p. 148), says that 

 In obtained a specimen of this bird killed by Dr. L. M. Runeberg near Borga, about twenty 

 miles (English) to the east of Ilelsingfors, on the 24th June. 1869. It has been found in 

 Northern Russia by Mr. Meves, who writes (Ofv. k. Vet. Ak. Forh. 1871, p. 747) that he first 

 met with it on the 4th June on a small island called Ptino-Ostroff, in Lake Ladoga, where it 

 appeared to be by no means uncommon, as he heard five or six males singing. . He shot two, 

 but blew one in pieces. On the journey along the canal to Sermarks, on Lake Onega, and in 

 several other localities he heard its song, especially in the evening, and even all night through. 

 Mr. Sabanaeff informs me that he lias twice met with it near Jaroslaf, and that it is somewhat 

 oftener met with in the Government of Moscow. Bogdanoff occasionally saw it at some distance 

 from the Volga, in the southern Kama and its tributaries, in the Kazan and Smolensk Govern- 

 ments. Kessler met with it in the Kieff Government and near Poltava; and it probably occurs 

 throughout Southern Russia. Mr. Sabanaeff himself only observed it in the Kaslinsk Ural. In 

 Poland it is, Mr. Taczanowski informs me, generally distributed in suitable localities. Borggreve 

 i \ i 'Hill'. Xord-D. p. 90) speaks of it as being " a rare visitant from the south-east ;" but it appears 

 tn occur in several parts of Germany, and he subsequently (J. f. O. 1871, p. 222) writes that, 

 according to Dr. Zaddach,it is "tolerably" common in the well-known Elchwildrevier Ibenhorst, 

 in East Prussia. Dr. Hansinann writes (J. f. O. 1873, p. 432) that he heard a Warbler near 

 Berlin which he is certain could not be the Grasshopper- Warbler, and which he puts down as 

 tlie present species; but as he neither shot nor even appears to have distinctly seen a specimen, 

 and was evidently not well acquainted with the song of the River-Warbler, it may certainly be 

 doubted whether the bird he heard really was the present species. I do not find any instance 

 of its occurrence in Holland, France, or Western Europe, where it seems to be entirely replaced 

 by Savi's Warbler. It is said to have occurred in Italy; for Contarini includes it in his list of 

 the birds found near Venice; and Althammer does the same in his list of the birds of the Tyrol, 

 with a note of interrogation ; but Salvadori doubts its ever having been really met with in that 

 country. According to Mr. C. A. Wright (Ibis, 1864, p. 72), Schembri once noticed it at Malta; 



