Oo 
+ 
first became acquainted with this interesting little bird in April 1871; but although it was far 
from uncommon, I found it very local and confined entirely to the tamarisk-covered islands and 
‘churs’ along the Ganges. From dissections made it was evident that these birds were then 
breeding: and any doubts there may have been on this score were speedily removed; for shortly 
afterwards I saw young fledgelings being fed by the parent birds. I need hardly say that the 
acquisition of the nest and eggs of this diminutive bird was looked forward to with no small 
degree of pleasure; but, unfortunately, it was then too hot for me to work at the subject per- 
sonally, and the matter was left in the hands of my native collectors, with the usual unsatis- 
factory results. 
“This season, having returned from my cold-weather tour somewhat earlier than usual, I 
devoted my mornings to exploring the islands, determined to become possessed of this deside- 
ratum; but fresh difficulties had to be overcome. Not only had the river changed its course, 
but the favourite haunts of the Thao Warblers had been washed away by the late unprecedented 
heavy rains. This added to the distance I had to travel before productive hunting-ground could 
be reached, which, with the delay in crossing the river, &c., left me only two hours for actual 
collecting, notwithstanding I frequently got up at 2 a.m. 
“ Under these circumstances any great success was hardly to be expected; and the acquisi- 
tion of two nests has been the sole result of my exertions. But these, I pride myself, are 
unique, so far as Indian-taken specimens are concerned; another week and it would have been 
again too late. The first nest was taken on the 13th of March last, and contained three well- 
incubated eggs; of these I saved only one specimen, which is now in the collection of Mr. Brooks. 
The second was found on the following day, and contained two callow young and one perfectly 
fresh egg. In both cases one of the parent birds was shot off the nest; so that the eggs have 
been thoroughly identified. 
“In its actions, habits, and nest-architecture Burnesia lepida resembles the true Drymece. 
The nest is domed over, having an entrance at the side; and the cavity is comfortably lined or, 
rather, felted with the down of the madar plant. It is fixed, somewhat after the fashion of that 
of the Reed-Warbler, in the centre of a dense clump of surput grass, about two feet above the 
ground. On the whole, the structure is rather large for so small a bird, and measures six inches 
in height by four in breadth.” 
An egg sent to Mr. A. O. Hume by Mr. Anderson is described by him as being “ very 
broad, oval in shape, a good deal compressed, however, and pointed towards the small end. The 
shell is very fine, and has a decided gloss. In colouring the egg is exactly like that of some 
of the Blackbirds, a pale-green ground, profusely speckled and streaked with a bright, only 
slightly brownish, red; the markings are densest round the large end, where they form a broad, 
nearly confluent, well-marked, but imperfect and irregular zone. It measures 0°55 by 0°41.” 
Von Heuglin and Mr. Jerdon, and Mr. E. A. Butler all agree tolerably well in their description 
of the eggs of this species, except that Von Heuglin describes the ground-colour as white; but, 
curiously enough, Canon Tristram, who assures me that he could not possibly be mistaken in the 
eggs of this Warbler, as he has taken so many, describes the eggs as being “‘ richly-coloured pink 
with a zone of dashed red near the larger end, in shape and colour resembling some of the 
Prinia group.” 
