FRANKLINIA. 375 



our limits this bird has an immense range in Europe, Asia, and 

 Africa. 



Habits, $c. This species "frequents corn-fields and grass-laud, and 

 is everywhere abundant 1 in such surroundings. It has a sharp 

 clear note, mostly uttered while the bird is soaring in the air, 

 which it frequently does, rising from one clump of grass and de- 

 scending to another. It breeds from April to October, construct- 

 ing a deep tubular nest in a clump of grass, to the stems of which 

 the structure is attached. The nest is made of line grass chiefly, 

 to which are added cobwebs and vegetable down. The eggs, 

 usually live in number, are white, or tinged with green, speckled 

 with red and purple, and measure '59 by *46. 



Genus FRANKLINIA, Blyth, 1863. 



The genus Franklinia contains four Indian species, three of 

 which have hitherto been included in Prinia by all ornithologists 

 except Sharpe. Prinia was instituted by Horsfield for Prinia 

 familiaris of Java, a Wren- Warbler with ten tail-feathers; and 

 there can be no doubt that it is desirable to keep the Wren- 

 Warblers in two separate genera, Prinia being retained for the 

 birds with ten tail-feathers, and Franklinia for those with twelve. 

 I have already stated my reasons why the latter birds cannot be 

 included in Cisticola. 



The history of one species of Franklinia is incomplete. The 

 other three have a complete double moult every year attended by 

 a change in the length of the tail, and two have a marked change 

 of colour as well. The sexes are always alike. 



The Wren-Warblers are all resident species or merely partial 

 migrants on the hills only. They frequent grass and bushes, either 

 in the open or on the outskirts of forest, and are fairly abundant, 

 except one species, about which little is known. 



In these birds the bill is about two thirds the length of the head, 

 slender, but not so finely pointed as in Cisticola. The rictal bristles 

 are strong and two in number. There are no supplementary hairs 

 in front of them, and the feathers of the forehead are compact 

 and smooth. The wing is very rounded and feeble, the first 

 primary more than half the length of the second, and the next three 

 graduated. The tail, even in summer, is very ample and well- 

 graduated. The tarsus is strong. 



Key to the Species*. 

 a. Forehead and crown of same colour. 



a. Tips of tail-feathers shorter than width 



of feathers and dull white, 

 a". Crown and upper plumage of same 



colour F. gratilis, p. 376. 



* I cannot identify Prinia humilis, Hume, Ibis, 1870, p. 144, said to have 

 twelve tail-leathers. Hume apparently no longer considers it a good species, as 

 he enters it in his ' Catalogus' with a note of doubt. It appears from the de- 

 scription to be Franklinia gracilis. 



