Megalurus palustris Horsfield, Trans. Linn. Soc. (1820), 13, 159;
Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. (1881), 7, 123; Hand-List (1903), 4,
202; Oates, Fauna Brit. Ind. Bds. (1889), 1, 383, fig. 122 (head);
Whitehead, Ibis (1899), 219 (habits); Oates and Reid, Cat. Birds'
Eggs (1905), 4, 199; McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 89.
Su-nód ca-la-bao, Manila.
Bohol (McGregor); Catanduanes (Whitehead); Luzon (Cuming,
Kittlitz, Everett, Steere Exp., Whitehead, Bourns & Worcester,
McGregor, Bartsch); Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Masbate (Bourns &
Worcester); Mindanao (Mearns); Mindoro (Steere Exp., Everett,
Schmacker, Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Samar (Steere Exp.);
Ticao (McGregor). Manipur, Burmese provinces, southeastern New
Guinea, northern and central India to Bhutun and Buxa Doars,
Assam, Java.
Adult.--Above sandy buff; back heavily streaked with black; top
of head and tail-coverts faintly streaked with brown; superciliary
line white; ear-coverts and space behind eye sandy brown; lores and
cheeks whitish; under parts white; sides of breast, flanks, thighs,
and crissum washed with buff; lower throat, sides, and crissum with
dark brown shaft-lines; wing-feathers blackish, edged with pale sandy
buff; basal portion of primaries and secondaries edged with light
rusty buff; rectrices brown, edged with lighter brown. Iris brown;
upper mandible brown, lower mandible horn-blue; legs and feet brown. In
worn plumage the upper parts appear much blacker and the shaft-streaks
on under parts are more prominent. A male from Luzon measures: Wing,
100; tail, 142; culmen from base, 18; bill from nostril, 12; tarsus,
36. A female in worn plumage, wing, 85; tail, 113; culmen from base,
18; bill from nostril, 11; tarsus, 33.
Young.--Immature birds are distinguished by having sides of head and
under parts washed with pale lemon-yellow. In Benguet Province, Luzon,
this species was found breeding during April and May.
"The striated marsh warbler is found about the open fields. It runs
rapidly on the ground and skulks in bamboo thickets and patches of
tall grass and weeds. It soars and attempts to sing while on the
wing; also perches at the very top of bamboo clumps, and 'sings'
vigorously." (Bourns and Worcester MS.)