80 Dr. von Heuo:lin on the Malurinpe 



r' 



Many species ascend, in the Abyssinian highlands, up to 

 10,000 feet above the level of the sea; one {Drymceca rufifrons) 

 is known exclusively as an inhabitant of the coast-country of 

 the Tied Sea. 



Respecting the geographical distribution of the North-east 

 African forms in general, trustworthy evidence is wanting to me 

 as regards most of them. Drymceca cisticola extends westwards 

 as far as the Gulf of Guinea ; eastwards it inhabits most of the 

 warmer parts of Asia. D. gracilis occurs also in Syria, Asia 

 Minor, and, according to Mr. Blyth, in India ; and D. rufifrons, 

 according to M. du Chaillu, on the Gaboon. 



All the species of Drymceca particulai-ly observed by me 

 appear not to migrate, and they usually live together in pairs 

 and families within small districts, which they seem to quit 

 unwillingly. Their favourite dwelling-place is amongst bushes 

 such as acacias, and other spiny shrubs, and the dry tall grasses 

 of the steppes ; some appear to prefer the banks of the torrents 

 to every other locality ; and only a few are inhabitants of the 

 marsh-country and larger reed-forests. They fly unwillingly 

 and not far, but show great dexterity in climbing, and slip as 

 nimbly as mice through the thickets. They rarely come down 

 upon the ground, and then only for a short time. Their food, 

 I believe, consists exclusively of insects and their larvae and 

 eggs. Most of them are remarkably fine singers. The song and 

 mode of life generally somewhat resemble those of the Reed- 

 Warblers. What I had the opportunity of observing with 

 regard to their reproduction is cited under the different species. 



The discrimination and settlement of the species was no easy 

 task ; and I regard the following memoir only as more or less 

 incomplete, inasmuch as I had not the necessary number of 

 specimens for comparison, and also wanted many of the most 

 nearly allied species from West and South Africa, in order to 

 be able to decide as to the identity or non-identity of some of 

 the species. Several remarkably nearly allied forms I have 

 thought it necessary to separate provisionally as species. 



Some natui-alists have attempted to split the genus Dry- 

 mceca into various subordinate divisions, such as Cisticola, He- 

 mipteryx, and so on. A generic division of the African forms 



