the Birds of Chink iang. 449 



being often found breeding in the same localities. The eggs 

 and nest attributed by him to C. minuta (' Ibis/ 1863, p. 82) 

 are evidently those of Suthora bulomachus. 



Cettia canturiens arrives at Chinkiang in the beginning of 

 April, and by the end of that month is extremely common 

 on the hills by the outskirts of woods and among thick 

 scrub, or anywhere in the valleys where suitable cover 

 occurs. During the nesting-season the males may be seen 

 in the evening perched on the topmost twigs of bushes, 

 singing lustily ; but the females are very difficult to observe 

 and creep about the bushes, seldom shewing themselves. 

 Breeding takes place in May and June. I have taken, 

 obtained, or seen nests on the following dates : — 



1900: 20th May (5 eggs, incubated). 1901: 12th May 

 (3 eggs, clutch incomplete) ; 26th May (new nest, empty) ; 

 10th June (3 nests, with 5, 5, 4 eggs, incubated). 1902 : 

 13th May (5 eggs, addled or much incubated) ; 13th May 

 (5 eggs, somewhat incubated ; $ shot at nest) ; 13th May 

 (5 eggs, somewhat incubated ; $ $ shot at nest) ; 15th May 

 (4 eggs, fresh) ; 15th May (5 eggs, nearly fresh ; $ shot at 

 nest) ; 15th May (4 eggs, hatching; ? shot at nest) ; 

 19th May (5 eggs, fresh ; ? shot at nest) ; 24th May 

 (4 eggs). 1903 : 10th May (2 eggs, not taken) ; 28th June 

 (2 eggs, fresh). 



The first nest on this list was taken by me from a bush in 

 a ditch. The empty nest, the eight nests taken in 1902, 

 and that taken on May 10th, 1903, were found among thick 

 scrub on the hills, and were built in low bushes not far from 

 the ground. The nest of this Cettia, like that of C. sinensis, 

 is domed, with a side or rather front entrance. It is made 

 of blades of coarse grasses, barnboo-leaves, and a few dead 

 leaves of oak &c, while it is lined with fine grass-stems, fine 

 stripped grass-tops, and occasionally a few feathers. The 

 structure is very fragile, and on being handled soon falls to 

 pieces. Seven nests measure as follows : — Outer height 

 from 5 to 7 in.; outer diameter, on average, about 4 in. ; 

 from base of nest to base of aperture from 3i to 4§ in. 



SER. VIII. — VOL. VI. 2G 



