?88 



CANARIES, HYBRIDS, AND BRITISH BIRDS 



The Reed 

 Warbler. 



but in wiiiU-r it must l)n ki'pl in genial, cosy 

 quarters. 



The Reed Warljler, Acruccphahis slrepcrus 

 (XenHon). arrives al)out tlic same time as the 

 Wood Warljler, and is quite 

 common in the southern and 

 midland counties as well as 

 Wales, in localities favoured with reed and 

 willow beds. From its retiring habits amongst 

 the reeds and willows, which are its breeding 

 haunts, it is not often seen, but its song may be 

 lieard tlircmgh the greater part of a light 

 summers night, when warm and calm. The 

 bird is just over 5 inches in length, and in 

 general colour above is not unlike the Nightin- 

 gale, though much smaller, as will be noted by 

 the length ; it has a white streak over the eye, 

 whilst the breast is lighter, and the Ijack and 

 tail not so rich a brown. The nest, composed 

 of dried grasses and wool, is built suspended 

 between three or four reeds or woven to the 

 stalks of aquatic plants over a ditch or stream, 

 and is fre((uently so fragile as to almost touch 

 the surface of the water as the reeds or ]>lants 

 are swayed by a gust of wind. This bird will 

 thrive well in captivity on a bill of fare such as 

 that given for the W^ood W^arbler, and may also 

 be exhibited in a sinular cage. Though sober 

 in colour, it is a pleasing acquisition to an aviary 

 of small insectivorous Ijirds. 



The Marsli Warbler, Acroccpliittus paliislris 

 (Dresser), is one of our latest sumnter visitors, 

 not arriving until the middle of 

 May and leaxing again about 

 the end of August. It is very 

 rare, and appears to be largely confined to 

 Somersetshire and the surrounding (list rids. 

 I'ossibly far more of these birds visit us than 

 we think, owing to its similarity in coicjur and 

 appearance to llie I'.ecd \\'ail)lcr. II maw 

 however, be dislinguislied from this bird by its 

 more olivc-linted ]>lumage and the absence of 

 the russet-brown rumj) colour, which is always 

 more or less in evidence on the Heed Warbler. 

 It is a more llueni songster than that liird, and. 

 like it, a great mimic of oilier birds' songs. 

 It certainly would be a most successful exhibi- 

 tion l>ird owing to its rarity, and may in every 

 way !)(• treated in ca]>1ivity as its ))redecessor in 

 these pages, and slujwii in a similar- cage. 

 Steadiness arrd ircrred pirrirrage arc esserrtiat to 

 success on the show luinii. It would also make 

 a welcome addition to the a\iar\ \\ 11 h olher 

 small insect ivoroirs birds. 



The Sedge Warbler, Acrocepluitus iilinic/iiuds 

 (Srrhdlinu. stays much lorrger- with us than I he 

 Marsh Warbler, arriving towards 

 the end of April and remaining 

 to the end of Septendier, when 

 it leaves to winter in Soirtli Africa. II a|ipar- 



The Marsh 

 Warbler. 



The Sedge 

 Warbler. 



ently bleeds everywhere, and is not coidiiU'd to 

 the sedges, as its name might indicate ; it fi-e- 

 tpieids reed-brakes and willow-holls. moist 

 meadows surrounded with underwooil. the 

 margins of rivers fringed with brush or (all 

 aquatic plants, and young woods planted in low, 

 damp lands, \\hen passing near these spots, 

 this little bird may be heard rattling off such 

 song as it possesses well into the clear summer 

 nights as well as by day. When disturbed, it 

 gives vent to a harsh " chiirr "-like note, as if 

 resenting intrusion on its domains. 



In colour its head and neck are russet-browii, 

 each feather being tipped with dusky-brown 

 so as to form stripes ; the l)ack is russet -brown, 

 and from the base of the bill to the ear-co\erts 

 is a distinct band of brown, darkening in shade 

 towards tlie crown ; over this, rumdng from 

 the bill over the eye, is a narrow streak of 

 white. The whole of the under pai-t is a delicate 

 yellowish-white, deepening into a rich tawny- 

 bulT on the sides of breasts and flanks and the 

 under tail-coverts ; the wings are brown, each 

 featlier being edged with lighter brown ; and 

 the tail is also brown, the feathers edged with 

 a lighter shade. The female only differs from 

 the male in its duller colour : it is less reddish 

 on the rump, and the eye-strip is less pro- 

 noirnced. 



The Sedge Warbler is a rather dillicull bird to 

 " meat olf " if full grown when caught ; and 

 though this is not an imjjossible task, it is prefer- 

 able to rear this bird from the nest, when it 

 should be hand-fed upon the same food as 

 young Nightingales. When able to feed itself 

 it should be gradually wermed on to the food 

 recommeiuled for the Wood Warbler. It should 

 be given picrrty of water for batliing, liirt must 

 not be allowcil to indulge too much in this 

 luxury during wirrtcr. Though j-atlier dillicrrlt 

 to keej), the Sedge Warbler is lively, and adds 

 to the altracti\eru'ss of an avi:rr-y of small 

 insecti\(irdrrs birds ; it can also be kept and 

 exhiliiled in a similar crrge to that recommended 

 bir the Heed W;rrbler. 



The tirasshopper ^\':u■|)ler, J.ocuslclld lucvia 

 (Sluirpc), though somewhat sinular in its maimer 



to the last -mentioned bird, dif- 

 ^"^ fcrs very widelv, though ot llic 



Grasshopper ,ame skulking disposition. It is 

 Warbler. , >i ■ ji 



a true walker, and runs through 



the thick herbage with great i'a))idity, uttering 

 its catl-iiole or song, which luis a venlrilotpiial 

 sound, being heard in one direction at one 

 nioinent and in (|iiile a ditferenl one the lU'xl. 

 -Mr. Sydney L. Cocks, of Peterborough, hand- 

 reared quite a number of these birds a few' years 

 ago, and, writing about one of them, said : " In 

 captivity, if jrlaced ui>on the floor of the room, 

 it wdiilcl 11111 across it like a partridge." 



