76 GREAT REED-WARBLER. 



but none of them are authenticated. In Yarrell's ' British Birds ', 

 until the 4th Edition, this species was called the Thrush-like Warbler ; 

 and by some authors it is termed the Great Sedge- Warbler. 



The Great Reed- Warbler is only a rare straggler as far as the 

 south of Sweden, and the islands at the mouth of the Gulf of Riga 

 appear to be its extreme northern limit. South of the Baltic it is 

 abundant in summer, in suitable localities, throughout Europe down 

 to the Mediterranean, Palestine, Asia Minor, and the shores of the 

 Caspian, while in Morocco and Algeria it is to a great extent resi- 

 dent : its winter migrations extending almost to the extreme south of 

 Africa. In Egypt, Arabia, Persia, and eastward to India, it is 

 replaced by A. stoitoreus, a close ally. The Great Reed-Warbler 

 breeds annually as near to us as Calais, and is common in Belgium 

 and Holland ; only a few hours' journey from London. 



In the breeding-season the Great Reed-Warbler need only be 

 looked for in reed-beds, whether on the banks of streams and lakes, 

 or on small ponds. The nest, seldom finished before the end of May, 

 is a compact cup-shaped structure, some five inches deep, composed 

 of dry reeds and grass, with a lining of the finer portions and the 

 flowers of the same ; the whole being closely bound to and suspended 

 from several upright reed-stems. The eggs, 4-5, often 6, are pale 

 greenish-blue, blotched and speckled with ash-grey, russet-brown and 

 dark olive : average measurements '9 by '65 in, . Only one brood is 

 reared during the season, and by the beginning of September the 

 southward migration has taken place. In its habits the bird is gene- 

 rally bold, and is conspicuous from its large size, as it flits from one 

 clump of reeds to another, or sits high upon one of the upper stems, 

 uttering its loud harsh song, karra-karra-karra, karee-karee-karee, 

 chai-ra-cha7-ra-charra ; it has also a croaking note when alarmed. 

 It sings from early morning till late at night. Its food consists 

 principally of insects and their larvae ; but in autumn it is said to 

 eat berries, especially those of the elder. 



The adult male has a dull whitish streak from the nostrils over 

 each eye ; the upper parts warm olive-brown, with paler tips and 

 margins to the feathers of the wings and graduated tail ; under parts 

 warm buff, whiter on the throat and belly ; bill brown, yellowish at 

 the base ; inside of the mouth orange-yellow ; irides brown ; legs 

 pale horn-colour. Length 8 in. ; wing to the tip of the 3rd and 

 longest quill (the first or bastard being very small) 3-8 in. The 

 female is slightly smaller. The young are more fulvous on the 

 under parts, and are slightly striated on the sides of the neck and 

 throat. 



