The Common Birds of the Nilgiris 



that has grown a respectable tail. The fore- 

 head is ruddy brown, the back of the head is 

 grey, the back is brown tinged with green. 

 The lower plumage is a pale cream colour. 

 There is a black patch or bar on each side of 

 the neck, visible only when the bird stretches 

 its neck to utter its loud to-wee, to-wee, to-wee. 

 In the breeding season the shafts of the middle 

 pair of tail feathers of the cock grow out 

 beyond the rest. These projecting, bristle-like 

 feathers render the cock easy of identification. 



The ashy wren-warbler {Prinia socialis) is 

 another " tiny brownie bird." The wings and 

 tail are brown, the remainder of the upper 

 plumage is the colour of ashes, the under parts 

 are cream coloured. This warbler is a slight, 

 loosely-built bird, and is easily distinguished 

 from others of its kind by the curious snapping 

 noise it makes as it flits from bush to bush. 

 It occurs in pairs or singly. Davison remarks 

 that it is " very fond of working its way up to 

 some conspicuous post — to the top of one of 

 the long flower-stalks of Lobelia excelsa, for 

 instance — where it will halt for a minute or 

 two, and then, after making a feeble attempt 

 at a song, will dive suddenly in the brushwood 



and disappear." 



197 



