276 



brown-, washed with yellowish buff ; cheeks, throat, foreheck and client 

 whitish ; breast and abdomen pure white ; sides of the breast washed with 

 .olive brown ; sides of the body, flanks) thighs, and under tail coverts clear 

 fulvous brown ; under wing coverts and axillaries pale tawny buff, whiter near 

 the edge of the wing. 



Length. 5-9 inches; wing 2-15 ; tail 2*8 ; tarsus 0-85 ; oilmen 0-45. 



A young bird in its first winter dress is described by Hume as Blanfordius 

 striatulus* The following is his description : 



"An obscure rufous white streak from the nostrils to the upper part of the eye. 

 The whole upper parts dull greyish olive brown (the grey preponderating on 

 the head), all the feathers except those of the upper tail coverts conspicuously 

 centred with dark brown ; wings pale hair brown, all the feathers margined 

 with pale rufescent olive ; tail feathers a sort of olive brown, the feathers con- 

 spicuously darker, very stiff-looking, and with glistening shafts, all the feathers 

 obsoletely transversely rayed, the central ones most strongly so. All but the 

 central ones narrowly tipped fulvous white, and with an obscure subterminal 

 dark band ; on the under surface, the shafts are white ; the ear-coverts mingled 

 fulvous and pale rufous brown ; the sides of the neck streaked like the back ; 

 on either side of the throat descends from the gape, for about half an inch, a 

 band of tiny white feathers, with minute dark centres, so as to produce the 

 appearance of two or three regular rows of little spots on each side of 

 the throat ; the chin and the centre of the throat, breast and abdomen white, 

 tinged buffy on the two latter, and with all the feathers of the throat and 

 breast very faintly and narrowly tipped with brown, so as to produce the 

 appearance of a number of narrow, faint, transverse bars. The flanks, sides, 

 vent and lower tail coverts are tinged with dull olive brown mingled with 

 fulvous buff ; the wing lining is buffy white, and so are the inner margins of 

 the inner webs of the quills as seen from below. 



"Length. (Of the dry skin; female) about 6 inches, wing 1-9, tail from 

 vent 2*75, bill at front about 0*45, tarsus 0*7, tail from vent 2*75, legs and feet, 

 fleshy, bill brown, pale fleshy on lower mandible." (Hume, Sir. F. i. p. 300.) 



Hob. From Sind, throughout the Himalayas from Cashmere to Bhootan, 

 and thence through Yunnan to South China and Formosa. Occurs also in 

 the Burmese countries. Recorded from Cashmere, Nepaul, Darjeeling, Sikkim, 

 Bhootan, Momein, Thayetmyo, and Sind. There has been much confusion 

 in regard to the identity of the Brown Hill Warbler, owing to the very material 

 difference in the plumage of the species in its various stages, from nestling to 

 adult. The same remarks apply to all the species of the genus. This 

 circumstance has led to the long full descriptions given of this little species. 

 It is a resident species wherever it is found. It frequents brushwood, and may 

 occasionally be seen on low trees. It seeks its food on the ground, and lives 

 on small insects and larvae.. On tall grass it delights to sit, so Hutton says, 



