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system of artificial irrigation ; and the little streamlets are bordered by thick hedges, the 

 branches meeting over the water. These hedges were a very favourite resort of Cetti's 

 Warbler. In Greece this bird was equally partial to the patches of cultivated land surrounding 

 the villages, and ascended the valleys of the Parnassus to an elevation of at least 3500 feet, 

 almost to the pine-region. In its habits it reminded me very much of our Grasshopper- Warbler. 

 The only time when I could get an opportunity of seeing it was early in the morning, soon after 

 sunrise. It was then intent upon feeding, and not so shy. It was extremely active, even more 

 active than a Titmouse. It would run up a branch of a shrub to its extreme end, then drop 

 into the heart of the shrub, and run up another branch. The song is very loud and almost 

 startling in the suddenness of its commencement. It always begins with a rich loud spritz, a 

 sort of preliminary trumpet-blast ; then follow three or four rapid double notes, something like 

 chit'-up, chit'-up, chit'-up, but clear and full as the notes of a cornopean. Your first impression 

 is that, if the bird goes on as it has begun, it will beat the Nightingale hollow ; but, alas ! the 

 song is over. These five or seven notes are repeated at intervals without variation. Cetti's 

 Warbler has a superb voice, but no genius for music. Like the Nightingale, this bird sings in 

 the night ; and I have often heard it as I lay on my camp-bed in a peasant's house, far away up 

 the Parnassus, before it was light enough to see the chinks in the walls or the holes in the 

 roof." 



Colonel Irby, who has had ample opportunities of examining nests of the present species 

 in situ, says (I. c.) that " the nest is always placed at some distance from the ground, generally 

 at a height of about two or three feet, and is either situated in a thick bush, or, when in a bushy 

 swamp, constructed somewhat like the nest of the Reed- Warbler, on the stalks of reeds and 

 Epilobium. These nests are built of bits of small sedges intermingled with willow-cotton, and 

 chiefly lined outside with strips of the stems of the Epilobium, inside with fine grass, a few hairs, 

 and bits of cotton at the top. Those nests built in bushes are chiefly constructed with grass and 

 cotton, and are entirely lined with hair. All the nests are deep and cup-shaped, largest at the 

 base, measuring about 4^ inches in height, the inside depth being 2| inches, the internal diameter 

 2| inches. The birds are rather irregular as to the time of nesting, as I have seen nests with 

 eggs nearly on the point of hatching, and others with fresh eggs on the same day (13th of 

 May)." I possess several clutches of the eggs of this Warbler, some of which are bright 

 brick-red, and others dull red with a pinkish tinge, all uniform in colour. In size they average 

 about to by ff inch. 



I am indebted to the authorities at Cambridge for an opportunity of critically examining 

 and comparing Swainson's type of Bradypterus platyurus, this specimen being the bird on which 

 he founded his genus Bradypterus ; and there is not a shadow of doubt that it is nothing but 

 Cetti's Warbler ; but I may add that I think there is some doubt as to whether it really was 

 obtained in Africa as stated on the label. Swainson, I. c. p. 241, misspelt the generic term 

 Bradyptetus; but this error is corrected in the index, at p. 379, where it is correctly spelt 

 Bradypterus. Swainson in error identifies his bird with Levaillant's Pavaneur, which is a bird 

 both generically and specifically distinct. I have also examined Canon Tristram's type of Cettia 

 orientalis, which certainly is not specifically separable from the ordinary European form ; for it 

 does not differ in coloration, and measures — culmen 0-55, wing 2-45, tail 2T5, tarsus 09. In 



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