394 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXVIII. 
somewhat inter se, but all must be attributable to this form except one, which is 
quite inseparable from syriaca. This was obtained by Pitman at Feluja on 
April 24th where typical familiaris also occurs and breeds. Pitman records 
that many Rufous Warblers passed through Feluja for elsewhere and possibly 
this bird was also en route for further west. Weigold says the Euphrates is the 
dividing line between these two races, familiaris to the East, syriaca to the west, 
but of course he here alludes to the Upper Euphrates which runs roughly north 
and south through the district he was in, Urfa, where he obtained familiaris; at 
Bab in Syria not very far from Urfa he obtained syriaca. Zarudny records 
syriaca from the Karun district as a very rare vagrant. 
The juvenile plumage of this species resembles the adult, but has broad pale 
edges to the tertials and wing coverts. 
Zarudny described A. familiaris persica (J. F, O. 1911, p. 238) from the Karun 
district, Zagros and Beluchistan. The collections do not contain any specimens 
from the Karun ; those from Basra appear to be typical familiaris. 
96. Streaked Wren-Warbler. Prinia gracilis. ‘Abu Zar,’’ 
“Zeater.’” 
Prinia gracilis lepida, Blyth. (J. A. 8S. B. 13, p. 376, 1844—Indus 
Territories). 
This Wren-Warbler is common and resident throughout our region from Daur 
to Fao and Shustar. It is not recorded however from Urfa by Weigold or from 
Mosul. In winter it is not nearly so conspicuous, keeping to thick cover especially 
Acacia jungle (Prosopis), corn and reeds. In summer, according to Pitman, it 
spreads out moie or performs local migrations, and is then seen in places where 
in winter it was not to be found. Besides frequenting reedy ditches it is to be 
found, according to Buxton, far out in large reed beds half a mile from land, 
where he came across it on February 23rd near Ezra’s Tomb, and again on 
April 21st, so that in this somewhat unusual habitat it probably nests also. 
It breeds throughout its range ; Cumming gives the nesting season as April 
to June but the latter half of May appears to be the usual time for first nests 
with eggs ; many nests were reported from this date te July and Buxton found 
fledglings on September 20th so that probably two or more broods are reared. 
Almost any thick cover, bushes of acacia and tamarisk, thistles, etc., are utilized 
for the nest. Cheesman, who found a nest five feet up in a tamarisk, describes 
it as egg shaped with a large opening in the side, made of fine grasses interwoven 
with thistle down and spider’s cocoons and lined with thistle down. Logan Home 
notes that the birds add to the nest after laying, and reports finding a nest of 
Cisticola appropriated by a pair of this species which had built on a dome to it. 
The full clutch is four or five, sometimes three, and Cumming has found a nest 
with six eggs. 
The usual coloration of the eggs is a pale greenish ground, spotted thickly or 
thinly with red-brown. 
The song, which may be heard as early as the middle of February, though 
usually not till some weeks later, is described by Cheesman as being like a grass- 
hopper’s note followed by a bubbling or bursting sound. The A.abs are well 
acquainted with this bird which in the south they call “ Abu Zar ” (but at Bagh- 
dad Cheesman says it is called “ Zeater”). Abu Zar means “ Father of 
nakedness ”, no doubt in reference to its scanty feathering. The Arabs say 
“it is the sheik of all birds, because though so tiny yet his beak is so sharp 
that he can sit on the head of any bird and pick out its brains.” It would 
be interesting to know how this legend arose ; I give it as it was given to 
Buxton by the Arabs on the Hawazie swamp. 
Twenty specimens examined : Shustar, 20-1-18 (F. M. B.); Shaiba, 30-9-16 ; 
Khazimain, 6-4-19, 10-5-19, 11-5-19 ; Busra 18-2-18 (P. Z. C. and R. E.C.) ; 
