syLviin.^^. 



77 



THE SEDGE WARBLER. 

 AcROCEPHALUS phra(;mitis (Bechstein). 



The Sedge-Warbler or Sedge-bird arrives in our islands during 

 the latter half of i^pril, and from that time until the latter part of 

 September it is the most abundant and generally distributed 

 member of the genus ; while occasionally examples have been 

 observed late in October and even in winter. It breeds in 

 every county of Great Britain ; although somewhat locally in the 

 extreme north, and very sparingly in the Isle of Skye ; west of which 

 I do not trace it. Mr. T. E. Buckley observed about three pairs 

 frequenting a garden, in summer, on Rousay in the Orkneys ; but 

 it is not yet recorded from the Shetlands. To Ireland it is a regular 

 and widely distributed visitor in summer. 



In Norway the Sedge- Warbler is found as far north as lat. 70° ; 

 and eastward, it can be traced across Sweden. North Russia, and 

 Siberia to lat. 67° in the valley of the Yenesei. Southward, its 

 breeding-range extends to North-western Turkestan, Palestine, 

 Greece, and the central part of Italy : but in Sicily and throughout 

 the greater part of the Mediterranean basin as far as Spain it is 

 principally known as a migrant. In the latter country I obtained 

 examples in spring and autumn, and, although not found breeding, I 

 have adults shot at Malaga on July 25th. Throughout the rest of 

 Europe it is tolerably abundant in suitable situations, especially in 



