CISTICOLA CURSITANS. 277 
birds live among the long grass, and appear to move most in the 
evening, about sunset, lying quiet in the heat of the day; they are 
generally to be seen three or four together.” 
The followmg admirable account of the species is extracted 
_ verbatim from Mr. Andersson’s well known work on the “ Birds of 
Damara Land.” ‘ This species came under my notice in Great 
Namaqua Land in about 24° or 25° S. lat.; I have also met with it 
abundantly in southern Damara Land, and have obtained it in 
Ondonga. Specimens from Damara Land are of a lighter tint than 
those from Ondonga, but I have no doubt they are identical. It is 
common at some large waters on the Omaruru River, but is most 
difficult to shoot ; it can generally only be shot on the wing as it rises ; 
and when shot it invariably falls in the reeds, where its diminutive 
size easily eludes the eye. It is, however, found in many other 
situations besides reedy localities, but chiefly among tall, coarse 
grasses growing about small periodical watercourses. When 
disturbed, it rises almost perpendicularly, descending nearly as 
abruptly, and either burying itself at once in the rank vegetation 
or first perching on a grass-stalk and gradually creeping out of 
view, and also out of reach ; for it is difficult to flush it again. 
“The food of this little bird consists of small insects. Its eggs, 
which are four or, rarely, five in number, are sometimes white, or 
more frequently white freely sprinkled with minute brown spots ; 
but occasionally they are tinged with green, whilst others are of a 
reddish colour. The nests also vary in form, material, and construc- 
tion; some are airy and fragile, like the home of a spider, whilst 
others are pretty compact and more or less pasted on the outside 
with decomposed grasses ; and it is a remarkable fact that the eggs 
in the spider-like nests are always whitish, spotted with brown, 
whilst those in the more complete nests are of a greenish tint but 
with the same spotting. The nests which are sometimes globular, 
are suspended to the stalks of long grasses about a foot above the 
ground, I have found them with eggs from the 18th of February 
to the 3lst of March.” 
Top of head and interscapulars, umber-brown, variegated with 
yellowish-brown; back of neck, back, and shoulders, clear yellowish- 
brown, with umber-brown streaks; rump umber-brown; chin and 
throat whitish; breast, belly, and vent, sienna-yellow ; tail mode- 
rately long, and slightly graduated; two middle-feathers broccoli- 
