THE GRASSHOPPER WARBLER 75 



Altai mountains. Its winter quarters appear to 

 be in the basin of the Mediterranean. 



The habits of a bird so skulking and shy as 

 the Grasshopper Warbler are difficult to describe, 

 because they are difficult to observe. Although 

 the bird may be absolutely common in a district, 

 it shows itself so rarely and so transiently that 

 ordinary observers might well be pardoned for 

 overlooking it altogether. This Warbler is not 

 only skulking, but it is excessively shy. We have 

 a certain sheltered valley here in South Devonshire, 

 whose slopes aie clothed with a dense thicket of 

 gorse ; and here in spring numbers of Grasshopper 

 Warblers locate themselves. Upon their first 

 arrival, which takes place during the last half of 

 April or the beginning of May, they are sometimes 

 very abundant, as if they had migrated in company 

 and were resting for a short time before spreading 

 over the surrounding country ; perhaps many of 

 the birds pass on to more northern haunts, for the 

 species is never so common after the first week 

 or so of its appearance. Be this as it may, it is 

 quite an exceptional event to catch a glimpse of a 

 bird ; and we have found from long experience 

 that the most successful way to see them was to 

 visit their haunts very early in the morning, and 

 to remain very quiet. The skulking little fellows 

 would then regain confidence, or perhaps relax 

 their wariness, and if we saw a couple of birds 



