BIRDS OF GUERNSEY. 45 



I went to the place as soon as I could, and found 

 parts of it a regular paradise for Keed Warblers, 

 and there were a considerable number there, who 

 seemed to enjoy the place thoroughly, climbing to 

 the tops of the long reeds and singing, then flying 

 up after some passing insect, or dropping like a 

 stone to the bottom of the reed-bed if disturbed or 

 frightened. On my first visit to the Grand Mare 

 I had not time to search the reed-beds for nests. 

 But on going there a second time, on June 17, with 

 Colonel I'E strange, we had a good search for nests, 

 and soon found one with four eggs in it which were 

 quite fresh. This nest was about three feet from 

 the ground, tied on to four reeds,* and, as usual, 

 having no support at the bottom, was made entirely 

 of long dry bents of rather coarse grass, and a 

 little of the fluff of the cotton plant woven amongst 

 the bents outside, but none inside. We did not find 

 any other nests in the Grand Mare, though we saw 

 a great many more birds ; the reeds, however, were 

 very thick and tall, high over our heads, so that 

 when we were a few feet apart we could not see 

 each other, and the place was full of pitfalls with 

 deep water in them, which were very difficult to be 

 seen and avoided. Many of the nests, I suspect, 

 were amongst the reeds which were growing out of 



* These reeds are the common reed Spires, Spire-reed, or 

 Pool-reed. Arundo phragmites. See ' Popular Names of 

 British Plants,' by Dr. Prior, p. 219. 



