NOTES. 107 



where the bird was singing I discovered a nest, but apparently 

 it had been disturbed, and I was not able to make sure that it 

 belonged to this bird, although I have little doubt that it did. 



On June 10th, I heard three more Marsh- Warblers singing 

 in various places, and discovered a nest with three eggs, from 

 which I flushed the bird. It was very carefully concealed 

 among the grass and coarse herbage growing along a lane. 



On June 11th I heard six more birds singing (probably all 

 paired) and discovered another nest. This nest was built 

 along the side of a hedge-row dividing two fields of corn ; and, 

 like the one found on the previous day, was supported by 

 several stems of meadow-sweet, and contained four eggs 

 upon which the bird was sitting. Upon visiting it the next 

 day I found no other egg had been laid, and apparently 

 incubation had commenced. 



On June 12th, I found a nest in a field of wheat, about seven 

 yards from the hedge. It was supported by five stems of 

 wheat, two of charlock and the leaf of a thistle. It contained 

 three eggs upon which the bird was sitting — in fact, whenever 

 I visited a nest I always found the bird sitting upon the eggs, 

 whether the full clutch had been laid or not. Pre\aous to 

 watching the bird to this nest, I had made a thorough search 

 among the nettles and cow-parsnip, a considerable quantity of 

 which was growing in the immediate vicinity of the nest. I 

 mention this fact as the birds appeared to select the wheat 

 in preference to these plants. 



On June 13th, I visited a field of beans in which two birds 

 were singing vigorously on one of the previous days. I had 

 long suspected that the birds nested among the beans and 

 wheat, as they were very often heard singing in these crops, 

 especially the beans. After a long search I discovered a partly- 

 built nest. It was attached to and supported by several 

 stems of the beans, and was more than twenty yards from 

 any hedge. 



On my way to the bean-field I heard another bird singing. 

 This was the eleventh singing bird I had heard during my 

 five days visit to the district, and I had very little doubt 

 but that all were paired, and either had nests or were building. 

 On this date I again visited the nest in the wheat, and found 

 that another egg had been laid. 



The birds did not appear to be in colonies, as is so often 

 the case with Reed- War biers — in fact, the only two birds 

 singing together were those in the beans. 



There apparently is but one osier-bed in the district, which 

 I visited. I also made a thorough search of it two years ago, 



