PARIN^E. 79 



48. LUSCINIOLA PRYERI. 

 (FRYER'S GRASS-WARBLER.) 



Meyalunis pryeri, Seebolim, Ibis, 1884, p. 40. 



Pryer's Grass- Warbler lias a plain and much graduated tail, a 

 concave wing witli a large first primary as in Cisticola, and streaked 

 upper parts as in that genus, or as in a typical Locustella. 



Pryer's Grass-Warbler does not appear to me to differ in any 

 generic character from the other Grass-Warblers. It cannot be far 

 removed from Lusciniola melanopogon or from Lusciniola luteiventris. 

 Its tail consists of twelve feathers and is much graduated ; its wings 

 are much concaved, and the first primary is very large ; its bill is 

 small, and the rictal bristles are very small ; its under tail-coverts 

 are very long, but its tail is shorter than the wing. 



I only know of the existence of three skins of this species : the type 

 and a second skin from the Pryer collection are in my possession ; 

 the third skin is in the British Museum. All three were obtained by 

 Mr. Pryer near Yokohama. 



The statement (Blytli, Ibis, 1867, p. 25) ihaiPhylloscopusfuscahis 

 is common in China, Formosa, and Japan is not confirmed by recent 

 collectors. I have never seen a Japanese example of this species, 

 but if it winters in Formosa (Swinhoe, Ibis, 1863, p. 306) it probably 

 passes Japan on migration. 



PARING. 



Sexes alike ; young in first plumage the same, but paler ; first 

 primary not more (generally much less) than half the length of the 

 second ; nostrils more or less concealed by feathers or hairs, but 

 varying much in this respect. Scarcely worthy of separation from 

 the Corvinse. 



The Parinse include the Tits, the Nuthatches, the Creepers, and 

 the Goldcrests, and number about 125 species, of which eleven are 

 represented in Japan. They are almost cosmopolitan, but are absent 

 from South America, Madagascar, and the Pacific Islands. 



