SUBALPINE WARBLER. 



Sylvia subalpina, Dresser, Birds of Europe, vol. ii, pp. 389-392, pi. 59 

 (coloured figures of adults), 1875 ; Saunders, Manual of British 

 Birds, 2nd Ed., pp. 53-54 (woodcut), 1897. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE PLUMAGE. 



. Adult Male in Spring. — The upper parts are pure ash grey, 

 faintly washed with brown on the mantle, rump and upper 

 tail-coverts. The wing feathers are earth brown, the inner- 

 most secondaries and their coverts being broadly and the 

 remainder narrowly edged with brownish white, and the 

 bastard wing is dark brown externally, edged with whitish. 

 The upper side of the tail is dark brownish grey, the feathers 

 being edged with light brown. The outer web and tip of the 

 inner web of the outermost tail-feathers are white, whereas the 

 inner web of the second feathers has only a wedge-shaped 

 white spot at the tip. The lores are ashy grey, slightly 

 darker than the crown, ear coverts ashy brown, and the sides 

 of the neck ashy grey. A white moustache divides the grey 

 from the vinous coloured throat, and the latter colour extends 

 down the underparts and flanks, leaving the abdomen white. 

 The under tail-coverts are whitish washed with pale vinous 

 near the roots. The underside of the tail is dark ashy grey, 

 the shafts of the feathers being white, the underpart of the 

 wing grey, and the under wing-coverts and axillaries pale 

 rusty brown. The bill is dark brown, the base of the lower 

 mandible being brownish flesh colour, and the iris yellowish 

 brown surrounded by a maroon red ring. The feet are 

 reddish flesh colour. 



Adult Female in Spring.— All the upper parts, including 

 the lores and ear coverts, are brownish ash grey, but the fore- 

 head is more ochre. The wings and tail are rather lighter in 

 colour than the corresponding parts of the male and the white 



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