BRITISH WARBLERS 



though somewhat darker near the tip ; mouth and tongue are 

 orange yellow, the latter rather more red at the base, and the 

 feet and toes lavender flesh colour. 



The general colour of the female is similar to that of the 

 male. 



Adult Male, light variety.— I have given a figure of this 

 bird, which I obtained in "Worcestershire, because the colouring 

 is so similar to that of the Marsh Warbler. The colour is 

 paler brown and less russet than the usual colour of the species, 

 the flanks and under tail coverts being whitish buff instead of 

 light russet buff, and the rump a slightly paler brown than the 

 back. 



Nestling. — The upper parts are rich brownish buff, wings 

 slaty brown, the larger feathers being margined with the 

 same colour as the back, and the throat and upper breast the 

 same hue as the upper parts. The flanks are buff, abdomen 

 whitish buff, under tail-coverts light buff with a slight tinge 

 of russet, and the tail slaty brown. Iris is dark greyish 

 brown and the eyelid slaty ash. The upper mandible is 

 greyish lavender and the lower light lavender flesh. The 

 colour of the mouth is similar to that of the adult. The legs 

 are light lead colour, soles olive yellow, and claws olive grey. 



GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. 



Over the greater part of South and Central England it is 



generally distributed, but westward becomes scarce in North 

 Devonshire, and rare in Cornwall and the Scilly Isles. In 

 Derbyshire it breeds in the Trent valley only, and it is found in 

 parts of West Lancashire and East Yorkshire, but from West 

 and North Yorkshire, Cumberland, Westmorland and North- 

 umberland it is absent, and from Durham there is only one 

 record. Across the Border it is almost unknown, the only record 

 being one from Fair Isle. In North Wales it is local and rare 

 except on the Shropshire border, and Anglesey does not appear 

 to be visited. In Brecknock it is fairly plentiful. There is no 

 authenticated record of its occurrence in Ireland. 



