396 
Mr. A. L. Butler on Birds observed 
25. Sylvia hortensis (Gm.). 
a. $ . Khor Arbat, 1.5.08. 
b. $ . „ 4.5.08. 
Garden-Warblers were, perhaps, even more numerous than 
Blackcaps. Their numbers shewed no diminution until the 
16th of May, when there was a great decrease, and on the 
18th I noted only a few individuals. 
26. Sylvia atricapilla (Linn.). 
a. $ . Khor Arbat, 2. 5. 08. 
Immense numbers of Blackcaps assembled along the 
coast during the first half of May, together with Barred 
and Garden-Warblers. These three species seemed every¬ 
where, and abundant as the Barred Warblers were, the 
Blackcaps and Garden-Warblers greatly outnumbered them. 
I saw very great numbers of this species daily from May 1st 
to the 11th, and large numbers again on the 14th and 16th. 
I spent the next few days looking for sea-birds, and saw no 
more Blackcaps afterwards. 
27. Sylvia nisoria Bechst. 
a . S • Khor Arbat, 4. 5. 08. 
b. $ . ,, 5. 5. 08. 
c. $. ,, 5.5.08. 
d. <f. „ 1.5.08. 
«.<?■. „ 1.5.08. 
/. $ . Port Sudan, 30. 4. 08. 
The numbers of migrating Barred Warblers which I saw 
during the first week in May astonished me. During that 
time the scrubby thorn-bush between the coast and the hills 
was full of them. Often there were eight or ten in one 
small thorn-tree, and frequently one could have killed three 
or four at a shot. Indeed, I twice killed two with the same 
shot unintentionaVy . For the first five days of May there 
must have been thousands of them within a comparatively 
small radius round my camp. Certainly I saw hundreds in 
a morning, and it was the same in whichever direction I 
wandered in the bush. On the 6th and 7th of May these 
great numbers shewed a considerable decrease. From the 
