SYLVIIN/E. 



75 



THE GREAT REED-WARBLER. 



AcROCEPHAi.us TURDOiDES (Meyer). 



The Great Reed-Warbler is another species which, hke the Icterine 

 Warbler, is so common on the Continent that it is a marvel its 

 visits to our shores are so few and far between. Nor is the present 

 a species likely to escape notice : on the contrary, its powerful 

 chattering song and large size would at any time attract attention. 

 The fact, however, remains that it has been very rarely obtained in 

 England. The first on record was obtained near Newcastle on May 

 28th 1847, by Mr. Thos. Robson (afterwards well known as a col- 

 lector at Ortakoi, near Constantinople) ; three are stated, on the 

 authority of a dealer whose traffic with Holland was notorious, to 

 have been obtained in Essex and Kent ; later, Mr. Goodchild in- 

 forms me that an example shot near Sittingbourne is in the collec- 

 tion of Mr. G. Thomas ; Mr. \V. O. Hammond shot one near 

 Wingham, Kent, on September 14th 1881; and one was obtained 

 near Ringwood, Hampshire, on June 3rd 1884. I believe that a few 

 summers ago an individual of this species frequented one of the 

 Norfolk Broads, which it is unnecessary to name. Statements as to 

 the finding of eiigs supposed to belong to this bird are not wanting, 



