: 290 



Nest a roundish ball of dry grass, with a circular entrance on one side near 

 the top. Eggs, 3 to 4, white, speckled all over with reddish brown and pale 

 lavender, rather densely at the larger end. It is lijke the Malacocerci, nearly 

 always seen in flocks of half a dozen or more flying from bush to bush, scarcely 

 .ever leaving a bush without having examined it from the tqp to the root 

 stalks. 



352. Cisticola graciliS, (Franklin) Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. vii. 

 p. 253; Oates, B. Br. Burm. \. p. 119. Prinia gracilis, FrankL P. Z. S. 

 ^831, p. 1^9; Jerd't Madr* Journ. xi. p. 3; id., Birds Ind. ii. p. 172, 

 No. 536; Hume, Nests and Eggs, Ind. B. p. 341 ; Wald. in JBlyth, B. Burm. 

 p. 119; Hume, Str . F. iii. p. 136 ; vjii. p. loi ; Brooks, t. c. p. 476. Prinia 

 frodgsoni, Blyth, J. 4- S. B. xiii. p. 376; Jerd., B. Ind. ii. p. 173, 

 No. 538 ; Hume,, Nests and Eggs-, p. 342 ; Wald. in Blyth, B. Burm. p. 1 19 

 Hume, Str.F.\\\.^. 13^ ; Legge, Str. F. iii. p. 203; Oates, Str. F. vii. 

 p. 480. Prinia albogularis, Wald* Ann. Nat. Hist., Series 4, vol. v. p. 219. 

 Drymoeca gracilis, Dresser, B.Eur. iii. p. 13. Prinia rufula, Godw.- Austen, 

 P. Z. S. 1874, p. 47 ; id., J. A. S. B. xliii. pt. ii. 165 ; Hume, Str. F. iii. 

 p. 397 ; id. t. c. viii. p. IQI. FRANKLIN'S GRASS- WARBLER. 



Above, including the wings and tail, ashy grey, the wings ecjged with pale 

 rufous ; tail with a subterminal patch of brown on each feather tipped with, 

 whitish, and obspletely across with dusky under certain lights ; ear coverts 

 whitish in front, greyish behind ; lores and feathers above the eye dusky ; cheeks, 

 chin, throat, abd.omen, vent and under tail coverts white or yellowish white ; 

 breast a$hy, forming a band across ; under wing coverts and axillaries white or 

 yellowish white ; sides of the l?ody and flanks slightly tinged with ashy ; bill 

 black ; legs and feet yellowish fleshy ; irides reddish yellow. 



In winter plumage the upper parts, including the tail, are rufous brown ; the 

 wings brown, broadly edged with rufous ; the tail with subterminal dark patches 

 and wln'te tips ; l.pwer plumage white, tinged with fulvous ; supercilium whitish. 



Length. 3*7 to 4*2 inche ; wing 175 j tail i'55 to 2 ' 1 $'> tarsus 0*7 ; 

 culmen 0*5 ; from gape 0*55. 



Halt. Nepaul to Bhootan and throughout he more moist regions of India 

 and Ceylon, ranging eastwards into the Burmese countries as far south as 

 Pegu. It is also recorded from Malayana. It occurs also in the Concan, 

 Deccan, and Bengal. In Central and Northern India, and on the Vindhian 

 hills near Mhow and at Saugqr, it is said to be not uncommon, also in the 

 Nepaul Terai and lower hills. In Sotjlhern India it is recorded from the 

 Malabar Coast, the Wynaad, the slopes of the Neilgherries and on the Eastern 

 Ghauts, while in British Burmah it occurs throughout Pegu and Arrakan. 

 It has been met with in Tenasserim also, and has been got in Karin by 

 Captain Wardlaw-Ramsay. 



