3. BTTENESIA. 209 



a bar of white, before which is a subterminal band of black, broad 

 and distinct ; crown of the head like the back ; lores and a streak 

 extending to above the eye buffy white ; in front of the eye a blackish 

 spot ; eyelid bnffy white, except where it adjoins the grey of the head 

 behind and the dusky spot in front, where it assunilatcs in colour 

 to these ; ear-coverts and cheeks light tawny buff, slaty grey along 

 the upper margin of the former ; throat whitish, slightly washed 

 with fulvous ; lower throat, fore neck, chest, breast, sides of'the body, 

 flanks, thighs, and under tail-coverts tawny buff, paler on the latter- 

 abdomen white ; under wing-coverts and axillaries light tawnj' 

 buff : quills below dusky ; inner edge of quills ashy fulvous ; upper 

 mandible black, lower mandible pale horny; legs dull yellowish 

 brown ; iris brown. Total length 4-6 inches, culmen 0-5, wiug 1-8 

 tail 1-8, tarsus 0-8. 

 ^ The sexes and dates of specimens in the British Museum and in 

 Capt. Wardlaw Eamsay's collection are not sufEciently well deter- 

 mined to enable me to speak with positive certainty on the changes 

 of plumage of B. socialis ; but, as far as our series goes, my im- 

 pression is that B. steuarti of Indian authors is only the winter 

 plumage of B. socialis. If they are ever proved to be two species, 

 then they must interbreed; for there is an absolute gradation 

 in plumage from one to the other. But, from what we know of 

 these Grass-Warblcrs, there is nothing extraordinary in the supposi- 

 tion that B. stnuarti is B. socialis in winter dress. It is said to differ 

 in being reddish brown above instead of slaty grey, and in having a 

 long brown tail, measuring 3 inches in length, this may probably 

 be the young bird in its first H'inter plumage. The old bird in its 

 cold-weather plumage still retains somewhat of the grey head, 

 though the back is reddish brown. A male kiUed in December has 

 the tail 2-3 inches. 



The young bird is rufous-brown above, a little more dusky on the 

 head, the rump and upper tail-coverts brighter rufous : tail-feathers 

 rufous-brown, tipped with fulvous-white, with a distinct subterminal 

 bar of black ; a superciliary streak and the under surface of the 

 body deep ochraceous bnff. 



The colour of the adults in this species varies somewhat with 

 locality, and the size also. Birds from Xepal and Assam seem to be 

 of a darker slate-colour, sometimes almost blackish. Capt. Legge's 

 Ceylonese race cannot be kept distinct, as the measurements are not 

 smaller than Indian specimens, if sufficient skins are examined. A 

 Ceylon female measures 4-6 inches, wing 1-8, tail 1-95, tarsus 0-8. 

 Another bird has the tail 2-15, another 1-6 ; and a male measures 

 1-8. _ To determine these questions it is necessary to compare only 

 specimens of a similar age, in breeding- or cold-weather plumage, and 

 to judge the question in accordance with our recently acquired 

 knowledge on the Grass-Warblers. 



With regard to the identity of B. socialis and B. steicarti, I may 

 further mention that the male from Saliarunpoor, shot on the 9th 

 August, is slaty blue above and has no eyebrow, whereas some 



VOL. Til. p 



