280 TURDID/E. 



Winter. Upper plumage and tail rufous brown, the feathers on the 

 crown dark centred the tail feathers tipped pale ashy, with a black subterminal 

 spot more distinct when seen from below ; wings brown, edged with bright 

 rufous ; under surface of body fulvous, rather darker on the breast, flanks, and 

 under tail coverts ; thighs dark rufous. The young in first plumage are very 

 rufous. 



In breeding plumage, the upper surface is ashy or greyish brown, with 

 indications of dark centres to the feathers, especially of the head ; wings dark 

 brown, edged with ashy white or brownish ashy ; the primary coverts and 

 quills with narrow rufous brown edges, and the inner secondaries with fulvous 

 brown ; tail pale brown with dusky cross bars under certain lights ; all, except 

 the centre feathers, white at the tip, and a tolerably well defined subterminal 

 bar of blackish ; lores, supercilium, cheeks and ear coverts white, the latter 

 tinged with fulvous ; under surface of the body pale yellowish buff, whiter 

 on the throat ; thighs tawny rufous ; sides of upper breast ashy ; axillaries and 

 under wing coverts yellowish white ; bill black ; legs and feet pale yellowish 

 fleshy; iris hazel brown (Brooks), orange yellow (Gates). 



Length. In summer 5*25 ; in winter 6 inches; wing 1-9 to 2; tail in 

 summer 2'25 ; winter 3 inches ; culmen 0-4 ; tarsus o'8. 



Hob. The whole of India and Ceylon, ranging westward into Sind, east- 

 ward through Assam, the Burmese countries, Southern China, Formosa, and 

 Hainan. Occurs throughout Sind, parts of Beloochistan and Southern 

 Afghanistan, Punjab, N. W. Provinces, Oudh, Bengal, the Concan, Deccan, 

 South India, Behar, Khandesh, Cachar, all Burmah and Nepaul. Gates says 

 it is an amusing little bird. Perched on the summit of a stalk of elephant 

 grass, it gives out its monotonous song, consisting of one note repeated some 

 twenty times ; then, with its ample tail held at right angles to the back, it 

 skips away to the bottom of the next tuft only to reappear on the summit with 

 its persistent little song. These birds seem hardly able to regulate their 

 flight. They seldom fly more than twenty yards, and in this short space they 

 appear in imminent peril of turning sundry somersaults, for the bill on these 

 occasions points to the ground, while the tail bent well over the back is nearly 

 horizontal. The Indian Wren- Warbler breeds wherever it is found. The nest 

 is cylindrical or oval in shape, made entirely of fine grasses most strongly 

 woven together ; although the walls can be seen through, yet they resist any 

 ordinary efforts to tear them asunder. . Altogether the nest is a beautiful 

 specimen of bird architecture. The eggs, usually 4 in number, are pale blue, 

 jnarked with spots and scrawls of purplish brown. 



341. Prinia Sylvatica, Jerd., Madr. Journ. xi. p. 4 ; Blyth, J, A. 

 , B, xiii. p. 376, Prinia neglecta, Jerd., Madr. Journ. xiii. p. 130. Dry- 

 moica sylvatica, Blyth, J. A. S. Seng. xvi. p. 458 ; id., Cat, B. Mus. As. Soc. 

 p. 142. Drymoica jerdoni, Blyth, J. A,. S. B. xvi. p. 459. Prymoica 



