Genus CISTICOLA*. 



Bill more compressed than in Drymceca, high at the base, the culmen moderately curved ; 

 rictal bristles small and fine. Wings ample, with the secondaries much curved, the 1st quill less 

 than half the length of the 4th, 5th, and 6th, which are subequal and longest, the 2nd shorter 

 than the 7th, which is slightly less than the 6th. Tail of 12 feathers, and not exceeding the 

 wing, the lateral feathers graduated. Legs long j the tarsus exceeding the middle toe and its 

 claw, and shielded with broad smooth scutse. Toes delicate ; hind toe and claw large. 



Plumage above striated. Nape furnished with short hair-plumes. 



CISTICOLA CURSITANS. 



(THE COMMON GRASS-WARBLER.) 



Prinia cursitans, Frankl. P. Z. S. 1831, p. 118; Jerdon, 111. Ind. Orn. pi. 6 (1847). 

 Cisticola sclioenicola, Bonap. Geogr. and Comp. List B. of Eur. p. 12 (1838) ; Jerdon, B. of 



Ind. ii. p. 174 (1863) ; Shelley, Ibis, 1871, p. 133 ; id. B. of Egypt, p. 97 (1872) ; Holdsw. 



P. Z. S. 1872, p. 455 ; Hume, Str. Feath. 1873, p. 439 ; id. Nests and Eggs, ii. p. 343 



(1873); id. Str. Feath. 1874, p. 235, et 1875, p. 137; Butler & Hume, t.c. p. 481 ; 



Irby, B. of Gibraltar, p. 91 (1875). 

 Cisticola cursitans (Frankl.), Blyth, J. A. S. B. xvi. p. 457 (1847) ; id. Cat. B. Mus. A. S. B. 



p. 145 (1849) ; Horsf. & Moore, Cat. B. Mus. E. I. Co. i. p. 324 (1854) ; Layard, 



Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. 1853, xii. p. 262 (in pt.) ; Hume, Str. Feath. 1877, p. 90; 



Davison & Hume, B. of Tenass. ibid. 1878, p. 349. 

 Cisticola omalura, Blyth, Cat. B. Mus. A. S. B. p. 145 (1849) ; id. J. A. S. B. 1851, xx. p. 176 ; 



Kelaart, Prodromus, Cat. p. 120 (1852) (in pt.) ; Layard, ut supra, p. 262 (in pt.) ; 



Blyth, Ibis, 1867, p. 302 ; Legge, Ibis, 1874, p. 21. 

 Drymceca cisticola, Von Heuglin, Ibis, 1869, p. 132. 

 Cisticola homalura, Hume, Str. Feath. 1877, p. 93. 

 The Mountain Grass-Warbler (C. omalura) ; The Grass-Warbler (C. cursitans), Kelaart ; The 



Fan-tail Warbler, Shelley ; Bou-fesito, Moorish, lit. " Father of eloquence ;" Cierra-pimo, 



Tin-Tin (from its note), Spanish ; Bolsicon, Spanish (Saunders). Ghaska phuthi, Hind., 



lit. " Grass-Prinia ; " Kher ghusa, Hind, at Bhagulpore (Jerdon); Chittu Jcuruvi, lit. 



" Small bird," Ceylonese Tamils. 



Adult male. Length 4-0 to 4'6 inches ; wing 2-0 to 2-3 ; tail 1-3 to 1-6 (lateral feather from 0-3 to 0-5 shorter than 

 central); tarsus 0-7 to 0-8 ; mid toe and claw 0-59 to 0-65; bill to gape 0-55 to 0-61. 



* This peculiar genus, on account of its short 1st and long 2nd quill, and likewise its striated plumage, appears to 

 form a link between the Drymcecine division of the Timaliidos and the Sylviida;, which latter family I propose to place 

 next in order to the present. Notwithstanding these characters, the rounded form of the wing, the lengthened 

 secondaries, the stout legs and feet, and the graduated tail ally Oistkola to the Drymcecina?, in which subfamily Jerdon 

 placed it. 



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