THE GOLDEN-HEADED GRASS-WAEBLER. 117 
numbers on roads and embankments which are overrun with grass. Its 
breeding-season exteuds over many months ; and I have found the nest 
from May to November ; it is a deep purse, beautifully made of 
vegetable down,, and placed in a tuft of soft grass about a foot or so 
from the ground. The number of eggs is usually five, and they are 
white speckled with reddish. 
115. CISTICOLA EXILIS. 
THE GOLDEN-HEADED GRASS-WARBLER. 
Malurus exilis, Vig. Horsf. Trans. Linn. Soc. xv. p. 223. Cisticola ruficeps, 
Gould, P. Z. S. 1837, p. 150. Cysticola lineocapilla, Gould, P. Z. S. 1847, 
p. 1. Cysticola isura, Gould, P. Z. S. 1847, p. 32. Cisticola erythroce- 
phala (Jerd.), Bl. J. A. S. B. xx. p. 523 ; Jerd. B. Ind. ii, p. 175 ; Hume, S. F. 
V. pp. 94, 351, 406, viii. p. 101. Cisticola volitans, Swinh. Journ. N. China 
As. Soc. 1859, p. 226 ; David et Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 256 Oates, S. F. x. p. 219. 
Cisticola tytleri, Jerd. B. Ind. ii, p. 176 ; Hume, S. F. v. pp. 93, 350, viii. 
p. 101. Cisticola rustica, Wallace, P. Z. S. 1863, p. 25. Cisticola semirufa, 
Cahanis, J. fur Orn. 1866, p. 10. Cisticola delicatula, Bl. Ibis, 1870, p. 170. 
Cisticola melanocephala, Anders. P. Z. S. 1871, p. 212 ; Godw.-Aust. J. A. 
S. B. xliii. pt. ii. p. 165, pi. x. fig. 1 ; Hume S. F. v. pp. 93, 350 ; David et Oust. 
Ois. Chine, p. 257 j Anders. Yunnan Exped. p. 641; Hume, 8. F. viii. p. 101. 
Cisticola ruficollis, Wald. Ann. Nat. Hist. ser. 4, vii. p. 241. Cisticola 
grajri, Wald. Ann. Nat. Hist. ser. 4, ix. p. 400. 
Description. — Male in breeding -plumage. Forehead and crown golden 
fulvous ; nape and hind neck dusky fulvous ; sides of the head paler fulvous 
than the crown ; lower plumage pale yellowish buff ; back and scapulars 
dark brown, each feather broadly edged with grey ; wing-coverts and quills 
brown, edged with rufescent grey ; rump and the upper tail-coverts ful- 
vous ; tail black, each feather narrowly tipped with ashy ; centre of the 
abdomen and vent white. 
In the female in breeding-plumage the head is streaked with dark brown, 
and the tips to the tail-feathers are about double the width they are in the 
male. 
In winter plumage both sexes have much longer tails. The upper plu- 
mage is streaked with black and margined with rufous ; the tail is rufous- 
grey, blackish along the shaft, each feather broadly tipped with rufescent 
white and with a subterminal black patch. 
Iris light brown ; upper mandible dark brown ; lower mandible and 
gape fleshy pink ; legs and claws flesh-colour. 
In summer, length 4 inches, wing 1'75, tail 1*25, tarsus '7, bill from 
