GREAT REED-WARBLER 85 



from the base of the bill to the top of the auricles. Upper 

 portion of head, neck, back, wing- coverts, primaries, 

 secondaries and tertials, umber-brown, with a raw sienna 

 tint. Kump and tail the same brown with a reddish- 

 yellow tint. Chin whitish. Under-parts whitish tinged 

 with raw sienna, deeper on the coverts of the thighs. 

 Under tail-coverts tinged with yellowish-brown. Greater 

 wing-coverts and primaries faintly margined on outer 

 webs and end of feathers. Eleven feathers in tail ; middle 

 feather the longest ; tail cuneiform. Irides brown. 

 Length from point of bill to end of tail, 7f inches. Tarsi 

 bluish-slate, ItV inches long ; toes brownish. Second 

 quill-feather the longest in the wing. The bill is strong, 

 and the form of the head very like a Kedwing's ; in other 

 respects the form more nearly resembles the aquatic 

 warblers, though somewhat more elongated. Can you 

 help me to identify this species ? I have been particular 

 in a description of its manners when first moved, since 

 its disinclination to leave the reed-bed and its very short 

 flight coincide with Gould's description of the Thrush- 

 Warbler. Its greater length and deeper colouring are 

 the chief points where agreement is wanting; but per- 

 haps, if his work has a fault, it is in its general too high 

 colouring. 



" Since writing the above I am convinced the bird is 

 Acrocephalus turdoides. Mr. Gordon, the Curator of the 

 Dover Museum, is quite satisfied about it. We have 

 compared it with Yarrell, and it answers exactly, with 

 the exception of the length — 7f inches, against Yarrell's 

 and Gould's 8 inches, and the colour of the legs, given by 

 both Gould and Yarrell as brown ; whereas mine, when 

 fresh, were slaty-blue. My bird's legs having dried, have 

 now turned brown. As to length, Yarrell quotes Latham 



