THE OLIVACEOUS WARBLER 



THE OLIVACEOUS WARBLER. 



Hypolais pallida (Hempr. and Ehr.). 

 Plate 8ob. 



The Olivaceous Warbler has occurred but once in the British Islands, viz. near 

 Hastings, on May 20th, 1915. 



It breeds in the south-eastern countries of Europe, ranging still further east- 

 wards to Turkestan and Persia, and is also found in North-east Africa. It winters 

 in tropical Africa. 



Dresser informs us {A Manual of Palcearctic Birds) that "it frequents groves, 

 orchards, and bush-covered places both in the valleys and in damp localities and 

 also to the altitude of 6000 feet." 



The song is said to resemble that of the Icterine Warbler. 



The nest, placed in the fork of a branch, is built of dry grasses, etc., with a few 

 horse-hairs, and contains four to five eggs, in ground-colour grey tinged with pink, 

 with dark spots and markings. 



The various Warblers shown on this plate were drawn from specimens kindly 

 lent by Lord Rothschild. 



THE ST. KILDA WREN. 



Troglodytes kirtensis, Seebohm. 



Plate 8oa. 



Although noted as a resident in St. Kilda by Martin as far back as 1697, this 

 large and pale-coloured race of the Wren was unknown to science until 1884, when 

 Seebohm described it in the Zoologist from examples obtained by Dixon in the 

 same year. It is entirely confined to the islands of the St. Kilda group, and differs 

 from our Common Wren not only in size but in the general greyer tone of its 

 plumage, especially on the breast, which is "mealy" in colour, while the upper 

 parts are more distinctly barred and the bill and feet are larger. According to Dr. 

 Eagle Clarke {Studies in Bird Migration), "it breeds on Hirta, Soay, Dun, Boreray, 

 and Stack an Armin." 



He "found the Wren in all parts of Hirta, among the boulders that fringe the 

 head of the bay, in the walls and cleits, among the crofts, on the screes and rocks 



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