236 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE ORNITHOLOGY OF INDIA. 



sometimes it makes it way to the top of a flowering grass 

 stem or other elevated position, and there with partially erected 

 tail and outstretched neck pours forth a weak twittering song 

 of a few notes, seldom remaining on this exposed perch for 

 more than a few seconds, and then diving out of sight as if it 

 was ashamed of its poor apology for a song. It is, I think, a 

 permanent resident at the Nicobars, but I did not succeed in 

 finding its nest or procuring any specimens of the young. I 

 did not observe it at the Andamans, and I do not think that it 

 would be likely to occur there, as it is (as its name implies) a 

 bird that frequents reeds, or long grass, and these the Anda- 

 mans do not possess, at present, at least not like the Nicobars, 

 where there are in the interior of some islands, as Camorta 

 and Teressa, miles of land covered with long coarse grass from 

 three to five feet high." 



555.— Phyllopseuste fuscata, Blyth. (1.) 



A single specimen which we obtained at the Andamans appears 

 identical with our others from Caehar, Tipperah, and other parts 

 of Eastern Bengal. 



Davison remarks : — " I only met with this little bird on three 

 or four occasions in some secondary jungle near Port Mouat, 

 South Andaman ; it was very shy, and I only succeeded iu 

 procuring one specimen." 



556.— Phyllopseuste magnirostris, Blyth. (1.) 



A single specimen which we procured at Mount Harriet, a 

 wooded hill which overlooks the Port Blair harbour, is identical 

 with specimens from Ceylon, Ahmednuggur, and other parts of 

 India. It must be rare, as the specimen killed was the only 

 one noticed by either Davison or any of our party. 



558.— Phyllopseuste lugubris, Blyth. (2.) 



Of this species also only two specimens were obtained, one 

 at Mount Harriet, the other at the Great Cocos, and but few 

 others were seen. 



Davison remarks : — "I met with this little warbler in several 

 localities on South Andaman, on Strait Island, the Great 

 Cocos, &c, and on every occasion found it frequenting the 

 forest, and not venturing into the comparatively open scrub, 

 like the preceding species ; its note is a sharp quickly repeated 

 chick, chick." 



