178 THE BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



Great Reed- Warbler. A crocephalns amndinacms (Lmn.). 



There is no reliable evidence that the Great Reed-Warbler 

 has ever remained to nest in Britain, but, on both spring and 

 autumn migration, it has been recorded about a dozen times. 

 It breeds in Europe — in some numbers in France, Belgium and 

 Holland — and north Africa, and migrates so far south as Natal. 

 Its song is loud and harsh, it has a noticeable alarm note, and 

 is from its size alone unlikely to be confused with any other 

 warbler. The upper parts are dark olive-brown, throwing up 

 the whitish superciliary stripe and the pale margins of the 

 secondaries ; beneath it is buff, whitest on throat and belly. 

 The bill is brown, the legs pale horn-brown, and the iris dark 

 brown. The young show streaks upon the neck and throat ; 

 the eye-stripe is bujfif and the under parts fawn. Length yS ins. 

 Wing, 375 ins. Tarsus, i*2 ins. 



Sedge -Warbler. Acrocephalus schcznohmmis (Linn.). 



Of all the marsh-haunting warblers the Sedge-Warbler 

 (Plate 75) is most abundant and evenly distributed. It is 

 found in most parts of Europe, and winters in Asia Minor and 

 in Africa even so far south as the Transvaal. In the British 

 Isles it is a summer resident, arriving late in April, and a 

 passage migrant. 



Except in a few localities which are unsuitable for a water- 

 loving species, the garrulous Sedge-Warbler advertises its 

 presence by chattering and varied song, though, owing to the 

 dense herbage it haunts, is often invisible. The presence of 

 water, in lake, small pond, river, ditch or marsh, is all it 

 requires, for it feeds upon gnats, midges and other dipterous 

 flies whose early life is aquatic. Small molluscs and larvse of 

 moths and beetles are eaten, and, it is said, berries, though 



