118 Lieut. C. H. T. Whitehead o7i the 



September) ; Gumming, op. cit. xvi. p. 686 (very common 

 in Seistan in summer) . 



246. ? ad. Kohat, 1760 ft., 6th May. 



Fairly common up to 3500 feet, from April till September, 

 in dry scrub-jungle ; round Thall it is particularly com- 

 mon. In the breeding-season the male may often be seen 

 perched on the top of a bush, pouring forth its sweet song. 

 In many of its habits it resembles the Indian Robin {Tham- 

 nobia cambayensis), especially in the way it flirts and spreads 

 its tail, and also in its tame and confiding habits. If the 

 intruder happens to approach the nest, the pair will follow 

 him about uttering their alarm-cry — wutch, xviitch. If the 

 nest be found they get terribly excited, and will sometimes 

 remain hovering in the air within a few feet. Of five nests 

 taken, three were placed in thorn-bushes close to the 

 ground, the other two on the ground under low shrubs. They 

 were cup-shaped and loosely constructed of coarse grass and 

 roots. I looked in vain for the bit of serpent-skin which 

 Mr. Dresser, in the ' Manual of Palsearctic Birds,' states is 

 always found in the nest of this species. 



The specific title [familiaris) is very appropriate, but the 

 trivia] name (Grey-backed) seems to be only misleading, 

 for the back is fulvous-broAvn, the most noticeable feature 

 being the bright red, white-tipped tail which the bird is so 

 fond of displaying. 



[362.] LocusTELLA sTRAMiXEA. The Turkestan Grass- 

 hopper-Warbler. 



742. ? ad. Kohat, 1760 ft., 25th March. 



749. Sex ? „ „ 26th March. 



77Q. S ad. „ „ 2nd April. 



Passes through the District in fair numbers from the third 

 week in March till the middle of May. Not observed in 

 autumn. It is chiefly found on the grass-farms and in 

 young crops, occasionally in the gardens. It is not such 

 a skulker as one would expect ; there is no difficulty in 

 flushing it, but it is not easy to observe or to shoot, except 

 on the wing. 



