45G Mr. W. L. S. Loat on Birds 



dense bourdy growth near the freshwater pools and wetter 

 portions of the marshes; and it was only hy sitting down 

 and patiently waiting till they came gradually, whilst in 

 search of food, to the edge of the reeds, that I got the 

 chance of a shot. 



7. Calamodyta scHffiNOB^ENus (Linn.). Sedge-Warbler. 

 Acrocephalus phragmitis (Bechstein) . 



? . 2nd Feb. 



Uncommon. Frequenting tlic same spots as the preced- 

 ing species. 



8. Acrocephalusstentorius (Ilempr. &Ehr.). Clamorous 

 Sedge- Warbler. 



S . 8th Feb. £ . 10th Feb. $ . 14th Feb. 



Fairly common. It generally kept to the thicker portion 

 of the bourdy, but always betrayed its presence by its loud 

 and peculiar note, which was uttered almost continuously. 

 All the three specimens obtained were in worn and faded 

 plumage. 



!). Drymceca gracilis (Riipp.). Graceful Warbler. 



Not uncommon amongst the bourdy. 



Shelley in his ' Handbook to the Birds of Egypt/ pp. 98 

 & 99, says : " There are apparently two constant forms of 

 tins bird, but they hardly differ sufficiently to be separated 

 as distinct species. " He considers that those from Lower 

 Egypt are generally darker in colour, have the shaft-markings 

 more pronounced, are larger, and have darker bills ; while 

 those from Upper Egypt and Nubia are mostly paler. The 

 two females that I obtained at the Wadi were light-coloured 

 birds with pale lower mandibles. A male shot on an island 

 in Lake Menzaleh in the Delta was of the dark type with a 

 black bill, while another male obtained in Nubia belonged to 

 the light-coloured type and had a dark brown bill. 



10. Phylloscopus rufus (Gm.). C hi ff chaff. 

 S • 18th Feb. 



This bird's characteristic note was first heard on Feb. 10th. 

 It frequented the same spots as the other Warblers. 



