450 STLVIIILE. 



The nest is built in low jungle, generally near water. The eggs, 

 usually four in number, are a bright mahogany-red and measure 

 50 by -46. 



464. Prinia socialis. The Ashy Wren- Warbler. 



J. A. 8. 11. xlv, pt. ii, p. 79 ; Legae, Birds Ceyl. p. 529 ; Hume, 



Cat. no. 534 ; Davison, S. F. x, p. 391 ; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 216 ; 



Gates in Hume's N. # E. 2nd ed. i, p. 291. 

 Prinia stewarti, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xvi, p. 455 (1847) ; id. Cat. p. 144 ; 



Jerd. B. 1. ii, p. 171 ; Hume, N. $ E. p. 338 ; id. Cat. no. 535 ; 



Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 216. 



Burnesia socialis (Sykes), Sharpe, Cat. B. M. vii, p. 208. 

 Prinia poliocephala, A. Anders. P. Z. S. 1878, p. 370, pi. xix ; Hume, 



S. F. vii, p. 319 ; id. Cat. no. 535 bis. 

 Prinia brevicauda, Leyge, Birds Ceyl}>. 521 (1878). 

 Cisticola poliocephala (A. Anders.}, Sharpe, Cat. B. M. vii. p. 257. 



The Dark-ashy Wren- Warbler, Stewart's Wren- Warbler, Jerd.; Phutki, 

 Kala-phutki, II. j Pit-pitta, H. in South India. 



Coloration. In summer the forehead, crown, nape, back, and 

 rump are dark ashy; wings and tail rufous, the latter with whitish 

 tips and subterminal black patches ; cheeks, ear-coverts, sides of 

 neck, and the whole lower plumage light buff, the thighs darker 

 and the centre of the abdomen whitish. 



In winter the forehead, crown, and nape are ashy tinged with 

 rufous ; the back, rump, and upper tail-coverts rufous-brown ; tail 

 rufous with white tips and subterminal black patches ; wings brown, 

 edged with rufous ; lores black ; above the lores a short white 

 evebrow : chin, throat, and middle of abdomen whitish ; remainder 

 of lower plumage buff, darker on the thighs. 



In summer the iris is yellowish brown ; bill black ; legs and feet 

 fleshy (Butler}. In winter the bill appears to be black also. 



Length in summer about 5 ; tail 2-2 ; wing 2 ; tarsus -75 ; bill 

 from gape *6 ; in winter the total length is about 6 and the tail 3. 



The white eyebrow is a characteristic of the winter plumage, 

 but some birds appear to retain it throughout the summer. 



Distribution. Throughout India from the Himalayas to Ceylon. 

 On the west this species does not occur in the Punjab beyond the 

 Chenab river nor in Sind, and it is rare or absent in Cutch and 

 Guzerat. It is found in the lower ranges of the Himalayas up to 

 4000 feet and in the hills of Southern India up to 7000.* On the 

 east it occurs as far as the Dapbla hills on the north and the Khasi 

 hills on the south. 



Habits, fyc. Breeds throughout the above area from March to Sep- 

 tember. The nest is of two types : one a leaf nest, like that of 

 the Tailor-bird formed of two or three leaves stitched together, and 

 the receptacle thus formed filled with cotton, grass, and wool ; and 

 the other a domed structure of grass, the nest in both cases being 

 not far from the ground. The eggs, three or four in number, are 

 deep red and measure '64 by '47. 



