obtained in British East Africa. 59 



175. CiSTlCOLA NUCHALIS. 



Cisticola erythrogenys (nee Riipp.) ; Sliarpe, Ibis, 1893, 

 p. 156 (Sotik, Mount Elgon) ; Hartert, Nov. Zool. vi. p. 49 

 (1900). 



Cisticola nuchalis Reicheu. Oru. MB. 1893^ p. 61. 



Nos. 146, 147. ? ad. Nandi, 6500 feet, July 4, 1896. 

 Iris hazel ; bill dusky, lower mandible horn-blue; feet flesh- 

 colour. 



Nos. 558, 559. S ad. Ravine, March 26, 1897. Bill 

 very dark brown ; lower mandible whitish horn, darker 

 towards the tip ; feet flesh-colour, and rather thick and 

 coarse for the size of the bird. 



Nos. 642, 6i3. S ad. Nandi, May 10, 1897. Bill black; 

 base of lower mandible horn-blue. Very plentiful. Build- 

 ing nest in tuft of low grass. Blades of grass woven on top 

 of nest. Very difficult to see. Nest of dry grasses, lined 

 with seed-heads of flue grass and bracken. Entrance at side. 

 Three eggs, like those of the Great Tit. 



No. 844. c? ad. Kakaraega, Kavirondo, Feb. 8, 1898. 

 mandible with patch of horn-white at 



Nandi, Feb. 15, 1898. 

 Nandi, 6500 feet, March 21, 1898. 

 May 4, 1898. 

 May 4, 1898. 



This Grass-Warbler is very plentiful in Nandi on the open 

 grassy downs, which it frequents in preference to either bush 

 or marshy hollows. It breeds in April and May. The nest 

 is placed in a tuft of grass, beautifully hidden by blades of 

 the grass bent over the top. It is a loose and somewhat 

 flimsy structure of long grass, with little or no liuiug of 

 finer materials. The eggs are mostly three in number, pale 

 greenish blue, profusely mottled at the obtuse end with 

 reddish brown. It is a noisy bird. 



No. 1076. ? ad. Nandi, 6500 feet. May 6, 1898. 

 No. 1083. ? ad. „ „ May 7, 1898. 



Nos. 1185, 1186. ^ ad. Nandi, 6500 feet, June 2, 1898. 

 No. 1198. $ ad. Nandi, 6500 feet, June 8, 1898. 



