LOCUSTELLA. 339 
retains them. The recognition of such nearly allied groups of birds as 
genera or subgenera is a purely arbitrary proceeding. I regret that the 
genus Locustella has been so largely used by modern ornithologists ; but 
it certainly is the most clearly defined of the allied subgenera, and its 
adoption is perhaps the course which makes the least change in the gene- 
rally accepted nomenclature. The genus Acrocephalus was divided by 
Kaup in 1829, in that eccentric book of his, ‘ Natiirliches System der 
Europiischen Thierwelt,’ into five genera, of which Locustella was de- 
scribed at page 115, the Grasshopper Warbler being designated as the 
type. 
The Grasshopper Warblers comprise a small but well defined group of 
birds nearly allied to the Reed-Warblers (Acrocephalus), agreeing with 
them in having twelve tail-feathers, and the bastard primary so minute as 
rarely to extend beyond the primary-coverts, but differmg im having a 
more rounded tail and nearly obsolete rictal bristles. The outside tail- 
feathers are shorter than the under tail-coverts, except in one instance ; 
but in no case are they more than three fourths the length of the longest. 
The bill is long and slender, as in the Calamodine group of Acrocephal, 
which many of the species further resemble in having the upper parts 
spotted. The predominant colours are russet-brown and olive-brown. 
The Grasshopper Warblers frequent marshy districts, dense thickets 
near water, reed-beds, and the luxuriant vegetation on the banks of 
streams. Their nests are usually built amongst rank vegetation on or 
near the ground ; and their eggs are from four to seven in number. So far 
as is known, all the species have the continuous monotonous note which 
ean scarcely be called a song, and which has given them the name of 
** Grasshopper” Warblers. 
Three of the species breed in Central Europe and winter in North 
Africa. A fourth breeds in Turkestan and West Siberia and winters in 
India. Three others breed in East Siberia and winter in the islands of 
the Malay archipelago; and one of them is said to visit Eastern Europe 
accidentally on migration, and has occurred during the breeding-season 
near St. Petersburg. Two species are British, one of which is a regular 
summer visitant to our islands ; but the other, although formerly a regular 
summer migrant, is now probably extinct or only breeds very sparingly. 
CONF. VO} i 
