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THE MARSH-WARBLER. 



AcROCEPHALUS PALUSTRis (Bcchstein). 



It is difficult to show in a wood-cut the points of difference 

 between this species and the Reed-Warbler ; nor, for that matter, 

 can much be said in favour of many of the coloured illustrations 

 which are supposed to represent the Marsh-W^arbler. Gould's 

 coloured plate in the ' Birds of Great Britain ' undoubtedly repre- 

 sents a Reed- Warbler ; so does, in my opinion, one in the late 

 Lord Lilford's ' Birds of the British Islands ' ; while in Mr. 

 Dresser's plate of the two species in his ' Birds of Europe ' the 

 respective tints are inadequately rendered, and the legs of the 

 Marsh- Warbler are wrongly coloured stone-grey, although accurately 

 described in the letterpress. The legs of the Marsh- Warbler are 

 pale brownish flesh-colour ; the general hue of the upper parts is at 

 all times less rufous than in the Reed- Warbler, and distinctly greenish 

 olive brown ; while, except when much abraded, the wing-feathers 

 are more tipped and margined with pale buff. The under parts are 

 tinged with sulphur-buff: not rufous-buff, as in the Reed- Warbler. 



The Marsh-Warbler was first noticed in England as a spring- 

 visitor in small numbers to Somersetshire, particularly to the neigh- 

 bourhood of Taunton ; several nests have since been found near 

 Bath, as well as in Gloucestershire, while in Oxfordshire the 



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