BRITISH WARBLERS 



white superciliary stripe, the lores are smoky grey, and the 

 sides of the head olive brown. The under parts, including the 

 under tail-coverts, are whitish washed with light buff — inclining 

 to light olive buff in some specimens — on the upper breast 

 and flanks and pale buff on the under tail-coverts. The under 

 parts of the tail and wings are greyish brown, the shafts of 

 the feathers being white ; under wing-coverts and axillaries 

 whitish buff. The upper mandible is dark lavender brown, 

 lower fleshy buff darker towards the tip, and the flanges 

 orange ; mouth orange yellow ; iris brown, the smaller feathers 

 on the eyelid being buffish white. The feet are buffish flesh 

 colour and the soles light olive yellow. 



The sexes are alike in plumage. 



After the autumn moult the colouring is richer. 



Nestling. — The upper parts are brownish buff and the 

 wings slaty brown, the larger feathers being margined with 

 the same colour as the back. The under parts generally are 

 yellowish buff, lighter on the abdomen but deeper on the 

 flanks and under tail-coverts. The bill is pale pinkish brown 

 and the gape yellow, this latter colour extending in a paler 

 shade along the edges of both mandibles to the tip. Feet are 

 pale pinkish brown ; toes pale yellowish ; hind part of feet 

 yellow, brightest at the joint ; under part of toes and claws 

 yellow, upper part pale pinkish brown. The top of the mouth 

 is dull orange, whilst the lower part is dull pinkish orange, 

 the tongue being also orange with two narrow oval black 

 spots at the base. 



GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. 



Though the bird is recorded as breeding in Kent, Surrey, 

 Sussex, Buckingham, Hampshire and Cambridgeshire, and 

 possibly Norfolk, the majority of the individuals seem to 

 pass farther west for breeding purposes — that is to say to 

 the counties of Oxford, Wilts, Somerset, Gloucester, and 

 Worcester. And not only is it more plentiful in many 



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