REED-WARBLER. 175 



as those of the Sedge, and I have seen one containing eggs so 

 frail that the hght showed through. Neither are they by any 

 means always built in reeds nor over water ; in one day I found 

 four nests, all containing eggs, many yards back from the 

 water ; they were in a wild rose bush, an elder, a thorn "and a 

 willow. Small colonies have been found in waterside willows, 

 even so high above the ground as twenty feet. Late nests are 

 built with great rapidity ; two or three days is enough to 

 construct fairly good nests. The four or five eggs are greenish 

 white as a rule, marbled and blotched with olive and grey 

 (Plate 65), the amount of colour varies, but is usually profuse. 

 The Cuckoo victimises the Reed-Warbler ; a pair may often be 

 seen toiling to satisfy their foster child with the small aquatic 

 insects and caterpillars which form the normal food of their 

 own nestlings ; the growing bird bursts and flattens out the 

 elegant nest. Young Reed-Warblers, even when disturbed for 

 the first time, are skilful in threading their way among the 

 stems, and seldom fall into the water. As autumn approaches 

 the old birds become silent, but their presence may be detected 

 if a clod or stone be thrown into the reeds ; the splash is 

 followed by a short burst of expostulatory song. Towards the 

 end of September the majority leave, but a few remain until 

 October. 



The upper parts are olive-brown, tinged rufous on the rump ; 

 there are pale edges to the secondaries. The throat and belly 

 are white, the breast is buff, and the flanks rufous. The bill is 

 dark brown, paler at the base of the lower mandible ; the legs 

 are slate-brown, the irides dark brown. There is little 

 difference between the sexes, and the young are more rufous 

 on the under parts. Length, 5"25 ins. Wing, 2*5 ins. 

 Tarsus, '9 in. 



