170 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



7 533. Prinia Adamsi, Jerdon. 



Prima, No. 127— Adams, List of Birds, P. Z. S., 1858. 



The whie-bellied Wren-Warbler. 



Descr. — " Above greenish, the tail tipped with white ; cheeks, 

 throat and breast, whitish yellow ; belly and vent white, tinged with 

 yellow ; tail long, graduated. 



" Bill black ; legs long, yellow. 



' J Found at Poonala in cornfields." This is evidently a nearly 

 allied species to the last, but apparently distinct, wanting the ashy 

 head and the pure white breast of the last bird ; its haunts also 

 appear to be similar. As Dr. Adams appears to be a faithful ob- 

 server, I have ventured to include this bird on his authority alone. 



A nearly allied species to the two last, Pr. sonitans, Swinhoe, 

 occurs in China, and of this the eggs are described as 'strangely red.' 



534. Prinia socialis, Sykes. 



Sykes, Cat. 78 — Jerdon, Cat. 116 — Blyth, Cat. 811 — 

 IIoksf., Cat. 493— Phuthi, H..—Belu-jitta Tel.— Pit- pitta, H. in 

 the South. 



The dark-ashy Wren-Warbler. 



Descr. — Head and back dark-ashy ; quills and tail reddish 

 brown, the latter with a dusky band near the tip, and the outer 

 feathers with a small white tip ; beneath, rufescent whitish, the 

 flanks rufous. 



Bill black ; legs deep yellow ; irides orange buff. Length 5£ 

 inches ; wing 2 T \j ; tail 2-f-^ ; bill at front not quite § ; tarsus 

 nearly 1 9 u . 



This bird is found throughout Southern India only, and Ceylon, 

 and I have not seen it to the north of the Godavery. It frequents 

 long grass and reeds, sugar-cane fields, and occasionally low 

 jungle mixed with grass. It is found on the Neilgherries, to about 

 6,000 feet or so, very abundant in bushy ground mixed with grass. 

 It is active and restless, making its way adroitly through the reeds 

 or hushes with a loud reiterated note, something like that of the 

 Tailor-bird, but louder. Col. Sykes remarks " has the same in- 

 genious nest, the same habits and note, and feeds in the same 



