74 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 



Distribution. — A resident among bulrush beds in swamps 

 and tanks here and there in the dry zone of the low-countrj^. 

 Alhed sub-species are migrant over a great part of India, 

 breeding in Kashmir and other parts of the Himalayas or in 

 Central Asia, and wintering in the plains. 



Habits. — 'In Ceylon this Warbler appears to confine itself 

 to bulrush beds. Its presence is generally detected by its 

 harsh grating note, which is of great volume for the size of the 

 bird. It is said to have a pleasing song in the breeding season. 

 It is of very skulking habits, keeping mainly among the lower 

 stems of the rushes and seldom showing itself. The food 

 consists of flies and small insects. The breeding season is 

 from June to August, and possibly also about March. The 

 nest is a fairlj'' deep cup of grass and strips of rush blades, lined 

 with finer materials and wedged in among bulrush stems, to 

 which the outsr wall of the nest is attached. The two or three 

 eggs are of pale greenish -gray, rather thicldy, but irregularly, 

 marked with blotches and spots of black, yellowish-brown, 

 and grayish-purple. Average size of eight Ceylon eggs 

 •81 by -60. 



ACBOCEPHALUS DFMETORUM. 



Blytlis Reed Warbler. 



Acrocephahis dumetorum (Oates, Vol. I., p. 3,'59 ; Legge, p. 54,5). 



Description. — Ear coverts, sides of neck, and all the upper 

 plumage olive-brown, paling slightly towards the tail coverts ; 

 the colour varies a little with different specimens ; wings and 

 tail deeper brown, edged on the outer webs with the hue of the 

 back ; an indistinct pale streak over the lores to the eye ; lores 

 dusky-brown ; lower plumage pale buff, almost white on the 

 chin, throat, and abdomen. 



Bill dark brown, lower mandible horny -pink; iris olive- 

 brown ; legs, pale horn colour. 



Length 5*5; wing 2*4; tail 2*1; tarsus • 85 ; bill from 

 gape -7. 



