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543. :- Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. II, p. 178; 543bis. :- D. terricolor, Hume; Butler, Guzerat; Stray Feathers, Vol. III, p. 481; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. IX, p. 407; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 153; Prinia inornata, Sykes ; Swinhoe and Barnes, Central India; Ibis, 1885, p. 126.

The Common Wren Warbler.
 

Length, 5 to 5.5; wing, 1.75 to 1.8; tail, 2.75; tarsus, 0.8, bill at front, 0.4.

Bill dusky-brown above, yellowish or fleshy at the base beneath ; irides brownish-yellow; legs fleshy-yellow.

Head and back greyish-brown, with an olivaceous tinge on the head and hind-neck; wings brown, edged pale rufous; tail rufous or brownish, with a terminal dark spot, and the centre tail-feathers obsoletely banded; a whitish supercilium and whitish lores and chin ; beneath whitish, with a faint fulvescent tinge; thighs pale fulvescent-brown.

It is now generally admitted by ornithologists that the birds described by Dr. Jerdon under Nos. 543 and 544, viz., D. inornata and D. longicaudatus are the same in different phases of plumage, the principal difference being the longer tail of the latter.

The Common or Earth-brown Wren Warbler is a permanent resident throughout the distrit, breeding during July and August; it usually constructs a rather pretty nest, composed of fine strips torn from blades of green grass which are plaited together like those of the Baya, but the strips are much finer and the nest altogether neater ; it is usually fastened to the thorny twigs of acacia bushes, at no great height from the ground, and the shape depends largely on the position of these twigs. According to my experience the nest is never lined.

Another type of nest is composed of the same material, but is much coarser, and more loosely woven.

Nests of this latter description are built in clumps of sarpat, guinea, or other rank-growing grass, or even in stand­ing corn ; they are purse-shaped, with the entrance on one side, the opposite side being prolonged and projecting over, so as to form a canopy. The eggs, four or five in number, are moderately long ovals, of a glossy pale greenish-blue color, boldly spotted and blotched with chocolate and reddish-brown, with a delicate tracery of interlaced hair-like lines at the larger end, but occasionally these lines are absent, the small end being usually spotless. The ground color is also subject to variation, eggs having been taken of a dull olive-green tint, and still more rarely of a clear reddish-white. They measure 061 inches in length by 045 in breadth. B. inornata also equals B. terricolor.

The Burmese Wren- Warbler.

Drymoipus extensicauda, Swinh. apud Oates, S. F. iii, p. 340. Drymoeca blanfordi, Wald. in Blyth, Birds Burm. p. 118; Hume, S, F. v, p. 57; id. Cat. no. 543 ter. Drymoeca extensicauda (Swinh.), apud Oates, S. F. v, p. 159, x, p. 221; Hume, Cat. no. 544 quat.; id. S. F. xi, p. 215. Drymoipus extensicaudata, Swinh. apud Armstrong, S. F. iv, p. 323. Drymoica blanfordi, Wald., Hume &; Dav. S. F. vi, p. 349. Drymoica extensicauda (Swinh.), apud Hume & Dav. S. F. vi, p. 350 ; Bingham, S. F. ix, p. 186. Prinia inornata, Sykes, Sharpe, Cat. B. M. vii, p. 195 (part.). Prinia blanfordi ( Wald.), Oates, B. B. i, p. 112; id, in Hume's N. & E. 2nd ed. i, p. 305.

Coloration. Resembles P. inornata, but at both seasons of the year there is an appreciable tinge of green running through the upper plumage; the sides of the head and the supercilium are distinctly fulvous; the subterminal patches on the tail-feathers are very large and distinct, nearly black and as broad as the feathers, and the tips are pure white and very well defined. An important difference is that the bill remains brown throughout the summer.

Iris orange-yellow ; eyelids plumbeous, the edges orange ; upper mandible fleshy brown, lower pale fleshy, the tips dusky; mouth flesh-coloured ; legs reddish yellow ; claws pinkish horn.

Length in winter 6, in summer 5.2 ; tail in winter 3, in summer 2 to 2.2 ; wing 1.9 ; tarsus .8 ; bill from gape .6.

Distribution. Occurs abundantly in suitable localities throughout Southern Pegu and the valley of the Sittoung river up to Toungngoo. This bird is also found in Tenasserim as far south as Tavoy.

Habits, &c. Breeds from May to August or even later, constructing a deep purse-like nest of grass, attached to several stalks of elephant grass or the small branches of a bush or weed not far from the ground. The eggs, three or four in number, are white or pale green or pale pink, spotted and blotched with dark purple and reddish brown. They measure .58 by .44.

P. extensicauda, Swinh., from China, differs from P. inornata in being much greener above and more yellow below; and from P. blanfordi in having the bill black in summer as well as in other particulars.

The Indian Wren-Warbler.

Prinia inornata, Sykes, P. Z. S. 1882, p. 89 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. vii, p. 195 ; Oates, B. B. i, p. 114 ; id. in Hume's N. & E. 2nd ed. i, p. 301. Sylvia longicaudata, Tick. J. A. S. B. ii, p. 576 (1633). Prinia fusca, Hodgs. in Cray's Zool. Misc. p. 82 (1844) ; id. P. Z. S. 1845, p. 29. Drymoipus inornatus (Sykes), Jerd. B. I. ii, p. 178 ; Hume, N. & E. p. 346; id. & Henders. Lah. to Yark. p. 215, pl. xvii, fig. 1; Brooks, S. F. iii, p. 295, iv, p. 274; Anders. Yunnan Exped., Aves, p. 640 ; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 218. Drymoipus longicaudatus (Tick.), Jerd. B. I. ii, p. 180; Hume & Henders. Lah. to Yark. p. 215, pi. xvii, fig. 2; Butler & Hume, S. F. iii, p. 483. Drymoipus fuscus (Hodgs.), Hume, N. & E. p. 348. Drymoipus terricolor, Hume, N. & E. p. 349 ; Butler & Hume, S. F. iii, p. 481; Brooks, S. F. iv, p. 229 ; Hume, S. F. iv, p. 407. Drymoipus longicaudus (Tick.), Hume, N. & E. p. 350. Drymoeca inornata (Sykes), Hume, Cat. no. 543; Brooks, S. F. vii, p. 468. Drymoeca fusca (Hodgs.), Hume, S. F. vii, p. 395; id.Cat, no. 543 bis. Drymoeca longicaudata (Tick.), Hume, Cat. no. 544.


The Common Wren- Warbler ; The Long-tailed Wren-Warbler, Jerd.; Lota-kun-jitta, Tel.; Niong-pho, Lepch.

Coloration. In summer the whole upper plumage is earthy brown, each feather with a darker centre ; the wings and tail edged with pale fulvous, the latter cross-rayed; lores brown; a supercilium from the nostrils to just behind the eye, and a ring round the eye pale fulvous-white ; ear-coverts and under the eye pale brown ; the whole lower plumage pale buff, the thighs conspicuously darker than the other parts ; lower aspect of tail whitish, with narrow, ill-defined, and frequently obsolete subterminal brown spots.

In winter the upper plumage is fulvous-brown, the crown indistinctly streaked with brown ; wings dark brown, edged with rufous ; tail rufous-brown, indistinctly cross-rayed and margined with brighter rufous ; lores, a supercilium to just past the eye, the sides of the head, and the whole lower plumage pale buff, the thighs con­spicuously darker; lower aspect of tail pale rufous with paler tips and very indistinct, or obsolete, subterminal brown patches. The young resemble the adults in winter plumage, but are more rufous above and of a brighter buff below; the tail is faintly tipped with rufous, but there are no traces of subterminal bars.

Specimens from Manipur resemble P. inornata in having the bills black in summer and brown in winter plumage, and in the character of the tail-marks, but the whole tone of the winter plumage is very tawny.' A Bhamo specimen is nearer to P. inornata than to P. blanfordi.

In summer the bill is black; iris yellowish brown; legs and feet flesh-colour (Butler).

In winter the bill is brown, pale horny fleshy at the base of the lower mandible; legs and feet fleshy-pink, the feet tinged brownish ; iris bright yellow (Hume).

Length. In winter, Length up to 6.5, tail up to 3.5 ; in summer, Length up to about 5.3, tad up to 2.3 ; wing 2 ; tarsus .8 ; bill from gape .6.

Distribution. Distributed as a permanent resident throughout the whole of India from the Himalayas to the Nilgiri hills. At Naduvatam on the Nilgiris this and the next species are found together and both are typical in coloration and Length of tail. P. inornata extends to the East as far as Manipur, and a Bhamo specimen is very close to this species, but the exact range of this and P. blanfordi can only be determined with absolute accuracy by summer-killed specimens. Blyth records P. inornata from Arrakan.

Habits, &c. Breeds throughout the rains, constructing a deep purselike nest composed entirely of fine grass and attached to some stems of grass. The eggs, generally four in number, are greenish blue, spotted, speckled, and blotched with chocolate and red, in addition to which marks there are usually some delicate interwoven lines of the same colours. They measure .61 by .45.

* I cannot identify Prinia adamsi, Jerdon (Jerd. B. I. ii, p. 170; Blanford, Ibis, 1872, p. 84; Hume, N. & E. p. 335; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 215).

The Southern Wren-Warbler.

Drymoica jerdoni,Blyth, J. A. S. B. xvi, p. 459 (1847); id. Cat. p. 142; Jerd. B. I. ii, p. 180. Drymoipus jerdoni (Blyth), Hume, S. F. i, p. 437. Drymoipus fuscus (Hodgs.), Hume, A. & E. p. 348. Drymoeca inornata (Sykes), apud Fairbank, S. F. v, p. 406. Drymoeca insularis, Legge, Birds Ceyl. p. 529, pl. xxv (1879); Parker, S. F. ix, p. 480. Drymoeca jerdoni (Blyth), Hume, Cat. no. 544 ter. Drymoeca inornata (Sykes), Davison, S. F. x, p. 393. Prinia jerdoni (Blyth), Oates in Hume's N. & E. 2nd ed. i, p. 304.

Coloration. Resembles P. inornata. Differs in having the sub-terminal spots on the tail large, dark brown, and distinct, and the whitish tips very sharply defined ; the tail in winter is shorter, not exceeding the Length of the tail of P. inornata in summer; the upper plumage is much darker and less rufous in the winter.

The young bird has the dark spots on the tail developed in an extraordinary manner.

Of the same dimensions as P. inornata, but the tail in winter does not exceed 3, and in summer 2.

Distribution. Southern India from Mysore to Cape Comorin; Ceylon. This bird occurs at considerable elevations as well as on the plains, being found on the Palni hills up to 5000 feet.

Habits, &c. Breeds from April to July, constructing a nest of the same character as that of P. inornata and laying precisely similar eggs.

Drymoeca blanfordi Walden in Blyth's Birds of Burma, p. 118, Aug. 27, 1875 : Thayetmyo, Burma.

Prinia inornata burmanica Harington, Bull. B. O. C, vol. xxxi, p. 111, July 1913 : Mandalay.

Prinia inornata inornata Sykes.

 

Prinia inornata Sykes, P. Z. S., 1832, p. 89, July 31: Dakhun.

Prinia fusca Hodgs., P. Z. S., Aug. 1845, p. 29, ex Zool. Misc., p. 82, 1844, nom. nud.: Nepal.

Drymoica sericea Blyth, J. A. S. B., vol. xvi, p. 460, 1847, ex Jerdon MS.=: inornata Sykes.

Prinia adamsi Jerdon, Birds of India, vol, ii, p. 170, 1863.

Drymoipus terricolor Hume, Nests & Eggs Ind. Birds, p. 349, 1873.

Drymoica jerdoni Blyth, J. A. S. B., vol. xvi, p. 459, 1847: Ceylon.

Drymoeca insularis Legge, Birds of Ceylon, p. 529, pl. xxv, 1879 : Ceylon.