THE REED-WARBLERS. 



225 



the mandible paler; feet pale brown; iris hazel. Total length, 

 5 inches; oilmen, 0-55 ; wing, 2*5 ; tail, 1-85; tarsus, o*8. 



Adult Female. — A little duller in colour than the male, and 

 less rufous on the rump. Total length, 5 inches; wing, 2-35. 



Young. — Similar to the adults, but with a yellowish tinge 

 below, and distinguished by dusky triangular spots on the fore- 

 neck. 



In Winter Plumage, i.e., after the autumn moult, the general 

 colour of the under surface is much more rufescent both in 

 young and old birds, the young ones still retaining the spots 

 on the fore-neck. The eye-brow is more suffused with buff. 



Note.— The Sedge-Warbler is easily recognised from the Reed-Warbler 

 by its striped upper surface, and by its distinct eyebrow. There are many 

 minor characters for differentiation, such as its more slender bill, rufescent 

 rump, &c, as well as pronounced distinctions in the song, method of nest- 

 ing, colour of eggs, &c. From the Aquatic Warbler the Sedge-Warbler is 

 easily recognised by the light band down the centre of the crown and the 

 striped rump of the former species. 



Range in Great Britain. — A summer visitor, apparently breeding 

 everywhere, though becoming more local in the northern parts, 

 and not recorded from the Shetlands or the Hebrides. In 

 Ireland it is a very well-known visitor throughout the island. 



Range outside the British Islands. — Distributed generally over 

 Europe, breeding nearly everywhere, except in some of the 

 Mediterranean countries, in the southern portion of which it is 

 only known as a migrant. Mr. Howard Saunders says that he did 

 not actually find it breeding in Southern Spain, but he has speci- 

 mens procured at Malaga as late as the 25th of July. These may 

 be, however, early migrants on their way south. To the north- 

 ward it has been found as high as 70 N. lat. in Norway, 

 but eastwards it does not reach quite such a high latitude, 

 occurring near Archangel and again in the Petchora up to 68°, 

 and on the Ob and Yenesei rivers to 67 ° N. lat. Dr. Pleske 

 states that it is only known as a migrant in the Crimea, but 

 nests sparingly in the Caucasus as well as in the Altai moun- 

 tains and Northern Turkestan, though in the valley of the 

 Amu-Darya and on the western shores of the Caspian it is 

 only a migrant. 



The winter home of the Sedge- Warbler is in South Africa, 



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