88 BIRDS OF DAMARA LAND. 



I found this bird by no means uncommon in the neigh- 

 bourhood of the Okavango ; its favourite haunts seem to 

 be along the sedgy streams and amongst the rank vegeta- 

 tion of marshy localities. It flits quickly from reed to reed 

 in quest of insects, and is a comparatively tame species. 



The iris is brown ; the upper mandible black ; the 

 lower reddish, but black at the extremity ; the legs are 

 a pale flesh-colour. 



111. Cisticola terrestris (Smitli). Gromd-Cisticole. 



Drymoica teirestris, Smith's Zool. of S. Africa, pi. 74. fig. 2. 



„ „ Layard's Oat. No. 159. 



Cisticola terrestris, Sharpe's Cat. No. 273. 



„ „ Gurney, in Ibis, 1871, p. 151. 



This species came under my notice in Great Namaqua 

 Land in about 24° or 25° S. lat. ; I have also met with 

 it abundantly in southern Damara Land, and have 

 obtained it in Ondonga. Specimens from Damara Land 

 are of a lighter tint than those from Ondonga, but I 

 have no doubt they are identical. It is common at some 

 large waters on the Omaruru River, but is most difiicult 

 to shoot ; it can generally only be shot on the wing as it 

 rises ; and when shot it invariably falls in the reeds, 

 where its diminutive size easily eludes the eye. It is, 

 however, found in many other situations besides reedy 

 localities, but chiefly amongst tall, coarse grasses growing 

 about small periodical watercourses. When disturbed, 

 it rises almost perpendicularly, descending nearly as 

 abruptly, and either burying itself at once in the rank 

 vegetation or first perching on a grass-stalk and gradually 



