11. C18TIC0LA. 265 



centre feathers tipped with a bar of whitish, before which there is a 

 very broad and distinct blackish bar ; crown of head a little browner 

 than back, and less distinctly streaked, with paler edges to the 

 feathers ; nape and hind neck rather paler than back, sandy brown 

 with dark-brown centres ; lores and a tolerably distinct eyebrow 

 white, as also are the feathers round the eye ; ear-covcrts light brown, 

 mottled with darker tips to feathers, which have pale shaft-streaks ; 

 cheeks whitish, washed with sandy eolonr ; sides of hinder crown 

 and sides of neck like hind neck, rather paler, with dark centres to 

 feathers ; throat white in centre, washed with sandy buff on sides ; 

 fore neck and breast light sandy buff, deepening on the sides of body, 

 flanks, and thighs ; abdomen whiter ; under tail-coverts pale fulvous ; 

 under wing-coverts and axillaries pale fulvous, deeper on lower series 

 of coverts ; quills below dusky brown, light rufous on their inner 

 edge. Total length 4--1 inches, culmen U-45, wing 1-95, tail 1-7, 

 tarsus 0-8. 



The female does not differ from the male in colour. Total length 

 4-2 inches, culmen 0-5, wing 1-95, tail 1-4, tarsus 0-75. 



There are two distinct phases of this species, with a uniform 

 crown and a striped crown, while intermediate specimens are plentiful 

 — that is to say, those which have a more or less uniform crown with 

 a few indications of sandy-brown streaks. Mr. Cowan procured 

 birds with plain and with streaked heads in March 1881 ; so that 

 the difference does not depend upon the season of the year, nor is 

 it apparently a sexual difference, as females of both forms were in 

 Mr. Cowan's series. 



Young. A little lighter than the adult, the margins to the feathers 

 of the upper surface being paler ; throat and chest pale yellow ; 

 flanks rather clearer rufous. 



Hab. Madagascar. 



a. Juv. sk. Madagascar. E. B. Sharjie, Esq. [P.l. 



b. cJad. ; c. Juv. sk. Madagascar. K. B. Sharps, Esq. [P.J. 



d. Ad. sk. Madagascar. Purchased. 



e. 2 ad. sk. Madagascar. Purchased. 



f. Ad. sk. Aukafana forest. Rev. W. Deans Cowan [CI. 



g. cj'ad. ; h, i. J ad. sk. Anknfana forest. Pev. W. Deans Cowan [C.J. 

 k, I. 5 juv. sk. Ankafaiia forest. Kev. W. Deans Cowan [C.]. 

 m. Ad. sk. [Madagascar.] Sir A. Smith [C.]. (Type 



of C. cherina.) 



18. Cisticola haBsitata. 

 Drymoeca haesitata, Sclattr 8f Hartl. P. Z. S. 1881, p. 166. 



Adidt male (type of species). Very similar to C. cJurina, if indeed 

 really distinguishable, the only difference being that the Socotra 

 specimen is more ashy grey than any of the Madagascar specimens 

 in the Museum. Total length 4 inches, culmen 0-45, wing 1-85, 

 tail 1-5, tarsus 0'7. 



a. (^ ad. sk. Socotra. Prof. Balfour. (Type of species.) 



