140 UROSPHENA CISTICOLA 



UROSPHENA, Swinhoe (1877). 



198. SHORT-TAILED BUSH-WARBLER. 



UROSPHENA SQUAMICEPS. 



Urosphena squamiceps (Swinhoe), P. Z. S. 1883, p. 292 ; (Seebohm), 

 Cat. B. Br. Mtis. v. p. 142 ; Pleske, Orn. Ross. ii. p. 652. Taf. 

 iv. fig. 5 ; (Gates), Faun. Brit. Ind. Birds, i. p. 442 ; (Tacz.) F. 0. 

 Sib. 0. p. 225 ; Cettla ussitrianus, Seebohm, op. cit. p. 143. 



ad. (E. Siberia). Upper parts, wings, and tail rich hair-brown, tinged 

 with chocolate, the wings externally brighter margined, feathers on the 

 head rounded ; supercilium buffy white, clearly denned ; lores and a streak 

 between the supercilium and the ear-coverts dark brown ; ear-coverts and 

 cheeks buffy white, the feathers tipped with brown ; under parts buffy 

 white, the chin, throat, and middle of the abdomen pure white ; Leak 

 horn-brown, the lower mandible fleshy white at the base ; legs fleshy 

 white ; iris dark brown. Culmen 0*53, wing 2'1, tail T05. tarsus 0*7 inch ; 

 first quill rather less than half the length of the second, which is about 

 equal to the eighth ; third, fourth, and fifth nearly equal and longest. 



Hal. The southern Ussuri country and Japan, wintering in 

 southern China, Formosa, and Tenasserim. 



It arrives in the Ussuri country about the middle of May, 

 and announces its presence by its continuous song, for it is 

 extremely shy and secretive in its habits, and therefore seldom 

 seen. It frequents dense under-brush and obtains its food, 

 which consists of insects, on the ground. Its call-note 

 resembles the syllables chick, chick, and its song, which is loud 

 but simple, is continually raised and lowered in tone so that it 

 is difficult to know where the bird is. Its nest is placed on the 

 ground and its eggs, usually 4 in number, are deposited in 

 June, and are white tolerably closely marked or blurred with 

 red, with a brownish tinge, and measure about 0*67 by 0'52. 



CISTICOLA, Kaup (1829). 



199. FANTAIL WARBLER. 



CISTICOLA CURSITANS. 



Cisticola cursitans (Franklin), P. Z. S. p. 118, 1831 ; Dresser, iii. p. 3, 

 pi. 96 ; (Gates), F. Brit. Ind. Birds, i. p. 374 ; " Salicaria cisticola," 

 Temm. (Gould), B. of E. pi. 113 ; Cisticola cisticola, Sharpe,Cat. B. 

 Brit. Mus. vii. p. 259 ; C. brunneiceps, Temm. and Schlegel, Faun. 

 Jap. Aves. p. 134, pi. 20. 



