GREAT REED-WARBLER. 369 
largest in my collection measures 1:0 by ‘7 inch, and the smallest °8 by 
‘63 inch. 
My friend Captain Verner has sent me the following notes on the habits 
of this bird :—“On May 11th, 1875, I observed many Great Reed- 
Warblers amongst the tall reed-beds in a Laguna in Southern Andalusia. 
They were flying about m a restless manner, now and then alighting on 
the reeds and singing loudly. By taking advantage of the cover afforded 
by the patches of reeds I was enabled to wade to within three or four 
yards of single birds, and watch them closely. They varied their song 
with a chattering note, much like our Sedge-Warbler’s, but more noisy. 
On being disturbed they darted off with a strong and bold flight, doubling 
the corner of the nearest reed-bed, and settled again to recommence their 
song with fresh vigour. Although I hunted diligently for some hours, 
at times up to my waist in water, and amongst reeds some six feet in 
height, I only succeeded in finding two unfinished nests. They were 
suspended between the stems of the reeds in a similar manner to the 
common Reed-Warbler’s.” 
The Great Reed-Warbler bears some superficial resemblance to a 
Thrush ; but its slender shape, minute bastard primary, rounded tail, and 
scutellated tarsus, to say nothing of its double moult and unspotted young, 
ought to have prevented it from beimg confounded with the Thrushes, 
even by cabinet naturalists who were unacquainted with its Acrocephaline 
song and nest. The general colour of the upper parts is olive-brown, 
‘suffused with rufous-brown on the rump, tail, and wings. The under- 
parts are pale rufous-brown, shading into nearly white on the chin, throat, 
_and the centre of the belly. In the bill the upper mandible is dark brown, 
and the under mandible pale brown. The irides are brown, and the legs 
pale horn-colour. In the autumn plumage the brown of both the upper 
and underparts is more rufous than in spring; but much of this rufous 
shade is lost by abrasion both in winter and summer. Birds of the year 
occasionally show traces of streaks on the breast. 
The Great Reed-Warbler has several very near allies, with which it has 
often been confounded. It is, however, slightly larger than any of them, 
has a somewhat more pointed wing, and decidedly paler legs. Its nearest 
ally is the Chinese Great Reed-Warbler (A. orientalis), which breeds in 
the valley of the Amoor, North China, and Japan, and winters in the 
Burma peninsula and the islands of the Malay archipelago. The Indian 
Great Reed-Warbler (A. stenforeus) has a still more rounded wing and 
a somewhat longer bill and tail. It is much more restricted in its migra- 
tions, and appears to be a resident in Egypt and Ceylon. In the inter- 
vening country, Persia, Turkestan, and the Himalayas, it is partially 
migratory, breeding in the highlands and wintering in the plains, Two 
