8o AQUATIC WARBLER. 



The Aquatic Warbler is only a rare straggler to Heligoland ; 

 although it breeds sparingly in the southern part of Denmark, Sleswig- 

 Holstein, and on the southern side of the Baltic. In Holland and 

 Belgium it is of uncommon occurrence ; but in France, according 

 to Degland and Gerbe, it is of 'annual passage' in the departments 

 of Somme and Nord. In the Brenne, and beyond the Loire, it 

 arrives about the third week in April to breed ; while further south, 

 in the Camargue and similar marshy districts, it is not uncommon. 

 Eastward, it is fairly distributed throughout Northern Germany, 

 becoming abundant in Silesia and some parts of Poland ; nor is it 

 uncommon in Southern Germany, It breeds in many parts of Italy, 

 Sicily and Sardinia ; but in the Spanish Peninsula I have only 

 obtained it in the month of September. In Algeria it is probably 

 resident. In the eastern portion of the basin of the Mediterranean 

 it appears to be merely a migrant or a winter-visitor ; and the 

 marshes of the Southern Ural form its boundary in that direction. 



According to Naumann, the nest is placed in more open localities 

 than that of the Sedge- Warbler, and generally about a foot from the 

 ground, in a bunch of sedge, or amongst dwarf willow-growth ; but 

 never among reeds overhanging the water. It is similar to that of 

 the Sedge-Warbler, and the eggs, 4-5 in number, are slightly less 

 yellow in their ground-colour than those of that bird : average 

 measurements '65 by '51 in. Breeding commences in the middle of 

 May, In its habits this species is remarkably shy, concealing itself 

 on the least alarm and running like a mouse along a branch or on 

 the ground. Its food consists of insects. The song, uttered from 

 the end of April to July, is shorter and less varied than that of 

 the Sedge-Warbler. 



In the adult the forehead is reddish-buff; lores and ear-coverts 

 pale brown, surmounted by a buff stripe above and behind each 

 eye ; above this, on each side, is a broad blackish stripe, followed 

 by a conspicuous buff streak along the middle of the crown ; nape 

 and back tawny-brown striped with black ; rump rufous-brown, 

 striped with black ; tail-feathers brown, darker along the shafts ; 

 under parts yellowish-buff, darker on the fianks, which, with the 

 neck and throat, are more or less striated ; bill brown above, 

 yellowish below ; legs and feet yellowish-brown. In the autumn 

 the buff tint becomes more intense. Length 4*5 in. ; wing to tip of 

 the 3rd and longest primary 2-5 in. ; the bastard quill being very 

 small. 



