94r CETTl's WARBLER. 



Dimensions of specimens sent me hy M. JS. Verreaux. — Male: — 

 Length, from tip of beak to end of tail five inches; carpus to tip 

 two inches and a half; tail two inches; beak three-fifths of an 

 inch; tarsi nine-tenths of an inch. Female :— Prom tip of beak to 

 end of tail four inches and a half; carpus to tip two inches; tail 

 one inch and three-quarters; beak three-fiftlis of an inch: tarsi 

 eidit-tenths of an inch. 



Cettt's Warbler, distingviislied from all other Syhiadcs 

 hj liaving only ten quills instead of twelve in tlie tail, 

 is found in tlie wliole of Southern Europe, from Spain 

 to the Caucasus. It has been said to have been killed, 

 but erroneously, in England, and Count Mlihle, in 

 expressing his surprise at this, attempts to account for 

 it by attributing it to a deficiency in the development 

 of the wings, — a reason which I think can hardly be 

 maintained, when we hear of much weaker birds flying 

 an infinitely greater distance. It occurs in Sicily, 

 Corsica, Sardinia, Spain, and France, being especially 

 common in winter in the southern provinces of the 

 latter country, M. Gerbe reports its appearance in the 

 department of the Var, and M. Crespon indicates many 

 localities in which it is found in Provence; and Count 

 Mlihle found it in Greece. It occurs in Egypt, and, 

 according to Captain Loche, in the three provinces of 

 Algeria. Mr. Salvin says, in the "Ibis," for July, 

 1859: — "On one or two occasions, among the tamarisk 

 trees on the banks of the Chemore, I caught a mo- 

 mentary glimpse of a bird of this sj^ecies — not more 

 than was sufficient to recognise it. It appears to be 

 shy and not common in the Eastern Atlas of Africa." 



It is only found in the thickest and most impene- 

 trable coverts of grassy plants, and thick hedges and 

 ditches. It is very shy, more so than any other Reed 

 Warbler: should it chance to climb up on a branch or 



