240 SYLTI1DJE.

far less densely speckled, the eggs of FranJclinia buchanani. These
are beyond all'question the eggs of our Indian species, and the only
type of them that I have yet observed; but the question remains
—Is oar Indian Prinia cursitans^ Franklin, really identical with
the European G. scJicenicola, Bonaparte ? *—and this can only be
settled by careful comparison of an enormous series of good speci-
mens of each bird. For my part I personally have little doubts as
to the identity of the two. At the same time differences in the
eggs may indicate difference of species. Thus of the closely allied
C. volitans, Swinhoe, the latter gentleman informs us that " the
eggs of our bird vary from three to five, are thin and fragile, and of
a pa^e clear greenish blue " t. He called it C. schoenicola when he
wrote, but he really referred to the Formosan bird, which he has
since separated.

The eggs of course vary somewhat. Of one nest I wrote at the
time I found it—" The eggs are a rather short oval, slightly pointed
at one end, with a white ground, thickly sprinkled with numerous
specks and tiny spots of pale brownish red. They measured '58
by '46." Of another I say—" The ground had a faint pearly tinge,
and there was a well-marked, though irregular and ill-defined, zone
towards the large end, formed by the agglomeration there of
multitudinous specks, which in places were almost confluent." Of
another set—"The eggs were much glossier and had a china-
white ground; but instead of a multitude of small specks over the
whole surface, they had nearly the whole colouring-matter gathered
together at the large end in a cap of bold, almost maroon-reel spots,
only a very few spots of the same colour being scattered over the
rest of the egg."

The eggs measure from -53 to -62 in length, and from *43 to '48
in breadth; but the average dimensions of a large number measured
were -59 by *46.

382. Franklinia gracilis (Frankl.). Franklin's Wren-Warbler.

Prinia gracilis, Frankl., Jerd. B. 2nd. ii. p. 172; Hume. Hough

Draft N. $ E. no. 536.
Prinia liodgsoni, BLy Jerd. t. c. p. 173; Hume, t. c. no. 538.

I have never myself succeeded in finding a nest of Franklin's
"Wren-Warbler, but my friend Mr. F. "R. Blewitt has sent me no
less than forty nests and eggs, with the parents; so that, although
the eggs belong to two, I might even say three, very different types,
I entertain no doubt that he is correct in assigning them to the
same species, the more so as, although the eggs vary, the nests

* The Indian and European birds are now generally allowed to be perfect ly
identical, notwithstanding the alleged difference in the colour of the eggs ; and
Mr. Hume is now, I think, of this opinion.—ED.

t But 0. volitans, or the closely allied race which occurs in, Pegu, assuredly
lays spotted eggs. I found two nests of this bird, both with spotted eggs (vide
p. 236).—ED.