ORn. INSESSORES. 



TRIBE—DENTIROSTRES. 



FAM. SYLVIADE. 



GENUS PRINIA. 



PLATE VI. 



PRINIA CURSITANS— Franklin. 



GRASS WARBLER. 



This curiously plumaged little species of Prima was fii-st described by Major 

 FranMin ia bis excellent Catalogue of Birds before alluded to. Since tbis plate was print- 

 ed, Mr. Blytb bas suggested to me tbat it would be more appropriately included in tbe genus 

 Cysticola of modern autbors. It appears to bave a very extended distribution over tbe Con- 

 tinent of India, being found from tbe Himalayas to Cape Comorin, witbin a few miles of 

 wbicb place I first prociu-ed it. I bave seen it in every district wbere I bave been and at aU 

 levels up to tbe summit of tbe Neilgberries. It is only found in long grass, or corn and 

 rice fields, and is a permanent resident here. On being raised it will occasionally take 

 refage in a low tree or busb, if sucb sbelter happen to be close at band, but in general it flies 

 slowly, in a jerking manner and with apparent difficulty for a few yards, and then drops 

 down and conceals itself among tbe blades of grass or com, allovring you to approach very 

 close, before it again attempts to rise. It often advances rapidly several yards fi-om tbe spot 

 wbere it alighted, but whether by running on tbe ground (as its name woxdd seem to imply) 

 or by hopping from blade to blade I cannot say. 



Tbe Grass TFarS^er feeds on ants, larvae of grasshoppers, and various other small 

 insects. I have not succeeded in finding its nest, but bave been told that it lays its eggs on 

 the ground in a tuft of grass. It is far from being an uncommon bii'd, and most Sportsmen 

 whether after snipe, florikin, or quail must have flushed hundreds of them. The Hia- 



