REED-WARBLER. 1 73 



Cetti's Warbler. Cettia cetti (Marm.). 



Cetti's Warbler is found in southern Europe, induing the 

 south of France, and has twice been recorded from Sussex, 

 in 1904 and 1906. It is a small brown-backed, rufous-tailed 

 warbler, white beneath with a conspicuous whitish superciliary 

 stripe. It has only ten feathers in its tail, which prevents 

 confusion with Savi's Warbler, which, except for its eye-stripe, 

 it somewhat resembles. Length, 5*25 ins. Wing, 2*3 ins. 

 Tarsus, '9 in. 



Reed-Warbler. Acrocephalus streperus (Vieillot). 



Towards the end of April, sometimes not until Alay, the 

 Reed-Warbler (Plate 72) arrives in England and invades the 

 reed beds of the southern and midland counties, spreading as 

 far as Cheshire and Yorkshire, a few venturing into Lancashire, 

 and even further north. It breeds in northern Africa and 

 throughout Europe to southern Sweden and the Baltic 

 provinces ; in Scotland and Ireland it is only known as a 

 passage visitor, and is rare in Wales and the west of England. 



There is nothing striking in the plain brown dress of the 

 Reed-Warbler ; it is in harmony with the grey-brown of the 

 old reeds which remain long after its arrival. It cannot be 

 confused with the Sedge- Warbler, for it has hardly any notice- 

 able eye-stripe and lacks the distinctive head streaks and dark 

 spotted back of this bird. It is, however, almost impossible to 

 distinguish it in the field from the Marsh- Warbler, though it is 

 slightly darker and has more rufous on the rump. Were it not 

 for its continuous chattering the Reed- Warbler would frequently 

 be overlooked, for, though it is not shy, the reeds give conceal- 

 ment. As it hops from stem to stem, now with one bent leg 

 grasping a reed, now balancing sideways with both legs flexed, 



