84 BRITISH BIRDS. 



previous to the two birds above- mentioued, only one specimen 

 had been actually obtained. 



"RE ED- WARE LEE Acrocephalm streperus (Vieill.). S. page 79. 

 Pair Isle (Shetlands). — A male was shot on September 23rd, 



1906. The Reed Warbler has never before been authenticated 

 as occurring in Scotland (W. E. Clarke and N. B. Kinnear, 

 Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1906, p. 236). 



MARSH WARBLER Acrocephalus palustris (Bechst.). 

 S. page 80. 



Kent. — Nest and eggs found on June 23rd, 1905 (C. Ingram. 

 Bull. B.O.C.,XV.,-p. 96). 



Sussex — Nest and eggs found, on July 2ud, 1903 (N. F. 

 Ticehurst, Bull. B.O.O., XIV., p. 23). 



Wiltshire. — Nest and eggs found in an osier bed near 

 Stapieford, on the Wylye, 18th June, 1900 (H. S. Hall, ZooL, 

 1900, p. 555). 



[Surrey. — One seen almost daily from 24th April till 8th 

 May, J 907, at Penn Ponds, by E. K. Ford (t.c, 1907, pp. 98-99). 

 The early date when this bird was first noticed throws doubt on 

 the accuracy of the record.] 



[Norfolk. — Nest and eggs, supposed to be of this species, 

 found on May 24th, 1906, near Fakenham (J H. Grurney, t.c, 



1907, p. 128), but the position of the nest (on the side of a 

 tussock in a bog) and the eai'ly date, make the correct identifica- 

 tion improbable ] 



These are extensions of the known breeding range of this 

 bird, but still very little is known of its status in the British 

 Isles. This is no doubt due to the difficulty of distinguishing 

 the bird from the Reed-Warbler. In the Zoologist for 1906 

 (pp. 401-409) Mr. Warde Fowler, who has watched the Marsh 

 VVarbler year after year in Oxfordshire, gives a valuable sum- 

 mary of his notes on its habits. He says that they arrive 

 generally in the beginning of June; for nesting they like a 

 large space of flat alluvial ground with bits of cover, such as 

 thick, tall plants, here and there; the nest is always three 

 or four feet from the ground, and may be distinguished from 

 that of the Reed- Warbler bv being less deep and solid, and by 

 having obvious "basket handles." Interesting details are given 

 of the eggs, young birds, song and coloration. 



GREAT REED-WARBLER Acrocephalus turdoides (Meyer). 



S. page 83. 



Sussex. — One shot near St. Leonards on Sept. 25th, 1903 

 (M. J. Nicoll, Bull. B.O.C., XIV., pp. 18 and 25) ; a male shot 

 at Bexhill on May 1st, 1905 (J. B. Nichols, Zool, 1905, p. 268). 



