192 Contrihdions to the Ornithology of India, 8^c. 



brown, obscm-ely margined with rufeseent olive ; the shafts^ dull 

 white below. 



The plumag-e is rather variable, and in some specimens the 

 flanks and tail coverts are much browner than I have above 

 described. The upper surface, too, varies a good deal in its gene- 

 ral appearance, as indeed I have attempted to explain above. 

 All the quills are margined on their inner webs albescent. 



518 ^er.— Cettia sericea, Natt. Cetti, Marm. 

 altisonans, Rlipp. 



I ought I dare say to begin as Mr. Gould would, and 

 remark, that " the occurrence of this species in Sindh must be 

 very interesting to all who make a special study of the Syl- 

 viad group," but personally I (A. O. H.) consider the individuals 

 of this species the most unmitigated little beasts that ever bother- 

 ed an ornithologist. 



I secured personally seven specimens, and each one of them 

 represents from one to two hours'' hard work, up to one's knees 

 in mud and rush. Such inveterate and incorrigible little 

 skulkers, birds so utterly incapable of appreciating the de- 

 mands of science, it has never been my misfortune to en- 

 counter, and " 1^ can scarcely believe that the whole feathered 

 kingdom can afford us any similar examples of avine depravity.'"' 



On several occasions when boating about in gloomy rush 

 and tamarisk swamp, I caught glimpses for a second of a small 

 dusky long-tailed bird fluttering about the stems of the centre of 

 the tamarisk bushes ; each time I mentally resolved, '' next time 

 I see that fellow, I'll shoot him." This went on for several days ; 

 but I never once did see him ; a momentary glance in the centre 

 of a thicket was all that was ever vouchsafed, and so I made up 

 my mind that I wmsf get a specimen, coute qui couie. 

 At last having seen, or fancied I saw, one in a small island 

 of rush, about 40 feet square, in which some dozen dense tamarisk 

 bushes were growing, I set to work systematically, and made six 

 men beat through it in the expectation that the bird would, at any 

 rate when thus pressed, fly out into one of the many neighbouring 

 similar little islets ; no such result however followed ; one of the 

 men saw it flit by him and that was all. This process was re- 

 peated five or six times^ but with no better success ; then I made 

 up my mind to go and beat through rushes and bushes 

 myself, which as the water was cold, and with the mud fully 

 three feet deep, was unpleasant. I drew the charges of my gun, 

 put in only about ^ drachm of powder and 5 oz. of dust shot in 



* ? Gould's Birds of Asia. I can't find tlie passage, but there is no mistak- 

 ing the dignity of the style. 



