86 MOUSTACHED WARBLER. 



The Moustaclied Warbler is a rare bird, for, not- 

 withstanding tlie statement of Temminck tliat it is 

 common in the neighbourhood of Rome, near Ragusa, 

 and in Tuscany, but few specimens are found in cabinets. 

 It occurs, however, in Sicily, Italy, the south of France, 

 Greece, in the swamps of Lentini, and at Syracuse. 

 Temminck says that it is "tres commune"' about the 

 lake Castiglione, and Ostia. However this may be we 

 know very little about its habits, more than has been 

 mentioned by M. Cantraine, who collected specimens for 

 Temminck in Italy, and who remarks that it always 

 lives in the swamps, and in the bushes which surround 

 them. It climbs along the reed-stems like the rest of 

 its family, and lets its sharp singing notes be heard 

 clearly enough. Like Sylvia aquatica, it also runs 

 along the reed-stems and water-plants, above the surface 

 of the water. It is not shy, and frequently sits on the 

 tops of the reeds. Those which M. Cantraine killed in 

 the winter were all males. 



M. Moqiiin-Tandon has kindly sent me a beautiful 

 drawing of the e^g, (which I have figured,) Avith the 

 following remarks: — "From the neighbourhood of 

 Montpellier, from whence it was sent me by M. Lebrun. 

 This Warbler builds among the reeds. Its nest is small, 

 in the form of a deep cup, and composed of fibrils and 

 roots and leaves of small grasses, and the interior is 

 lined with horse-hair and wool. It contains four or 

 five eggs, having an azure white ground, with brown spots, 

 larger and more thickly scattered round the larger end. 

 Great diameter fourteen millemetres, small eleven." 



A male in breeding plumage sent me by M. E. 

 Verreaux, has the head dark black; nape, back, and 

 rum]3 rich nut brown, with longitudinal rays of black 

 on the middle of the feathers of the back; throat. 



