NON-INDIGENOUS BRITISH BIRDS. 65 



P'amily TURDID.E. Genus Acrocephalus. 



Sub-family SYLVIINyE. 



GREAT REED WARBLER. 



Acrocephalus turdoides {Meyer). 



(British : Very rare abnormal spring and autumn migrant.) 



Single Brooded. Laying season, latter end of May and early- 

 June. 



Breeding area : South-western Palaearctic region. 

 The Great Reed Warbler breeds in all suitable districts 

 throughout Europe south of the Baltic and the British 

 Islands. South of the Mediterranean it is said to breed 

 in Morocco and Algeria ; whilst eastwards it breeds in 

 Palestine, Asia Minor, Northern Persia, and Turkestan. 



Breeding habits : It is rather a remarkable fact 

 that the Great Reed Warbler occurs so rarely in the 

 British Islands, seeing that it breeds commonly in 

 Holland, Belgium, and even so close as Calais, almost 

 within sight of our shores. As is usual with such species, 

 it is a remarkably late migrant, not arriving at its most 

 northerly breeding places before the first or second week 

 in May. The sole breeding haunts of this fine Warbler 

 are the belts and forests and beds of the common reed 

 [Arujido phraginites). It is a rather local species, bi:t 

 frequents reeds on small ponds as well as those that 

 fringe lakes, broads, and slow running rix-ers. It 

 probably pairs annually, but our information on this 

 point is scanty. The nest is almost invariably sup- 

 ported by from three to five stems of the reeds, and 

 is situated about midway from the water to their 

 summits. The selected reeds are generally well in the 

 thicket where sufficient seclusion is afforded. Instances 

 are, however, on record v/here the nest of this species has 



