Annals of the Transvaal Museum. 
253 
giving a streaked mottled appearance ; tail ashy-brown, tipped with white 
and faintly margined with pale sandy ; the white tips indistinct on the 
two centre feathers which have a plain snb terminal bar of black, as also 
have all the other feathers ; lores greyish white ; eyebrow greyish ; sides 
of face dull white, the ear-coverts washed with greyish brown and narrowly 
streaked with white down the shaft ; sides of neck greyish ; throat and 
centre of body white ; the sides tawny-yellow, the upper breast laterally 
ashy brown ; thighs deep tawny. Total length 152, wing 72, tail 61, 
tarsus 28, culmen 16 mm. 
“ Adult $. — Similar to the male, but much smaller. Total length 
122, wing 60, tail 51, tarsus 26, culmen 15 mm.” 
As far as I can judge from the available literature, I think that the 
following should be referred to this species 
Drymoica strang ei , Fraser, P.Z.S., 1843, p. 16. 
Drymoica curvirostris, Sund., Oef. Yet. Ak. Forh., 1850, p. 104. 
Drymoica chloris, Sund., Oef. Yet. Ak. Forh., 1850, p. 104. 
Drymoica obscura, Sund., Oef. Yet. Ak. Forh., 1850, p. 103. 
Drymoica fortirostris, Jard. and Fras., Contr. Orn., 1852, p. 160. 
Drymoica maizacii , Heugl., Stbz. Ak. Wein., 1854, p. 274. 
Drymoica naevia, Hartlaub., Syst. Orn. W. Afr., 1857, p. 56. 
Drymoica valida , Heugl., Journ. Orn., 1864, p. 258. 
Drymoica pachyryncha, Heugl., Ibis, 1869, p. 130. 
Drymoica angolensis, Bocage, Jorn. Lisb., 22, 1877, p. 160. 
Drymoica liolubi, v. Pelz., Orn. Zud-Afr., 1882, p. 72. 
This grass- warbler is found in South Africa from Pondoland and 
Kingwilliamstown northwards along the coast belt of marshy country 
to the Zambesi Yalley, and beyond that to British East Africa ; it seems 
also to occur in suitable localities in Central Africa generally, and on the 
West Coast from Angola to Senegambia. 
In the coast districts of Natal it is not uncommon, and I have taken 
its eggs at Somkele, Zululand, in December. The nest is usually placed 
in a bunch of mixed dry and green grass on the edge of a patch of thorn 
scrub ; it is of the usual shape and is constructed of the same materials 
as those of other species, but is larger in size. The eggs vary in colour, and 
measure 17 *8-18 -3 X 13-4 mm. During the breeding season the male 
while uttering a clacking note often takes flights up into the air, but never 
rises to a great height as does Hemipteryx. 
Specimens in the Transvaal Museum collection : — 
No. 
Locality. 
Date. 
Sex. 
Wing. 
Tail. 
Tars. 
Culm. 
8944 
Port St. Johns, 
Pondoland 
8/1/11 
3 
75 
56 
29 
14 
4269 
9 5 
99 
15/9/11 
3 
77 
71 
30 
15 
8943 
?? 
9 9 
15/1/11 
3 ( 9 ) 
60 
45 
25 
13 
8942 
9 9 
9 9 
29 /7 /II 
9 
62 
64 
26 
13 
4268 
9 9 
9 9 
9/10/07 
9 
63 
62 
27 
14 
5238 
99 
12/12/07 
9 (juv.?) 
64 
64 
26 
13-5 
5239 
9 9 
9 9 
13/12/07 
9 
62 
48 
27 
13 
5237 
9 9 
99 
15 11 /08 
3 ( 9 ) 
60 
48 
26 
14 
5240 
99 
9 9 
13 / 12/07 
O 
-t- 
63 
51 
25 
14 
