62 



British Birds. 



near Dover. In appearance the Aquatic Warbler is very like the Sedge-Warbler, 

 but has a pale streak down the centre of the crown with a black band on either side. 

 It is more of a reed-haunting species than the Sedge-Warblers, and it differs con- 

 siderably from that species in its choice of a nesting-place. The nest is made of 

 grass and lined with horse-hair. It is never suspended in reeds but is built near the 

 ground among the sedge or stalks of water plants. The eggs exactly resemble 

 those of the Sedge-Warbler, and are four or five in number. 



The present species is distinguished from the Aquatic 

 Warbler by the absence of the pale streak along the crown of 

 the head, this resembling the back, the whole upper surface 

 being russet brown streaked with black, the rump and upper 

 tail-coverts being more uniform rufous. It has a very distinct 

 evebrow, which can alwavs be seen in the living bird. Young birds resemble the 



THE 



SEDGE-WARBLER. 



[Acrocephalus 



phyngmitis.) 



y^' 



The Sedge-Warbler. 



adults, but ha\-e the under surface more yellow, and shew a few triangular dusk_\- 

 brown spots on the fore-neck. The Sedge- Warbler is a smaller bird than the Reed- 

 Warbler or the Marsh-Warbler, which are uniform on the upper surface and therefore 

 easily recognisable. The species winters in South Africa and apparently migrates back 

 to Europe by the Great Lakes and the Nile V'alle}' route, arriving at its breeding 

 quarters in April or earl}' in May. From Turkestan to Central and Northern Europe 

 the species nests freely in the vicinity of water, but is sometimes found building 

 at some distance from the latter. The nest is made of dry grass-stems and 

 dead water-plants, scantily lined with hair and pieces of vegetable down ; it 

 is placed on a platform of dead reeds or on a brancli t>verhanging the water, 

 sometimes being on the ground itself. The eggs are from four to si.\ in number. 



