WARBLER. 63 



53— SIBYL WARBLER. 



Sylvia Sibilla, Ind. Om. ii. 523. 



Motacilla Sibilla, Lin. i. 337. Gm. Lin. i. 992. 



Rubetra Madagascariensis, Bris. iii. 439. t. 24. Id. 8vo. i. 431. 



Traquet de Madagascar, Buf. v. 231. 



Sibyl Warbler, Gen. Syn. iv. 450. Shaw's Zool. x. 609. 



THIS is allied to the Stone-Chat, but is a trifle bigger. Head, 

 neck, and upper parts of the body, black, but the feathers of 

 the back and wing coverts have tawny margins ; it has the white 

 spot on the wings, but wants that on the rump, and all the tail 

 feathers are black; the under parts of the body are white, passing 

 backwards at the lower part of the neck, like a half collar ; the 

 breast rufous. 



Inhabits Madagascar, where it is called Fitert ; at first sight may 

 be taken for the Stone-Chat. Is said to sing well. I have met 

 also with the same bird in drawings from India, where it is called 

 Cassia, a large kind of Sparrow. 



A. — Length five inches. Bill black ; form of the bird and size, 

 as that of the Stone-Chat; crown marbled whitish and brown ; sides 

 of the head plain brown ; over the eye, from the bill, a broad pale 

 trace towards the nape ; body above brown, streaked with dusky ; 

 chin and throat the colour of the eye streak ; breast and under parts 

 buff white ; rump as the breast ; wings dark brown, the feathers 

 edged with tawny buff; quills wholly dusky ; tail even, dusky, the 

 feathers edged, and tipped with tawny ; legs black. 



Inhabits India. — General Hardwicke. Said to be common in 

 hedge rows about Anophere, in December. 



