MARSH-WARBLER. 379 
on the large end of the egg, sometimes so thickly as to almost conceal the 
-ground-colour. They vary in length from ‘8 to ‘65 inch, and in breadth 
from °59 to *52 inch. . 
The Marsh-Warbler has the general colour of the upper parts varying 
from olive-brown in spring plumage to earthy brown iu summer plumage, 
with a scarcely perceptible shade of rufous after the autumn moult, slightly 
paler on the rump ; the eye-stripe is nearly obsolete ; and the innermost 
secondaries have broad ill-defined pale edges. The breast, flanks, and under 
tail-coverts are pale buff, shading into nearly white on the chin, throat, and 
the centre of the belly. After the autumn moult the underparts are suffused 
with buff. Bill dark brown above, pale below; legs, feet, and claws pale 
horn-colour ; irides hazel. 
Freshly moulted birds of this species may always be distinguished from 
~ Reed-Warblers by the colour of the rump. In the Marsh-Warbler it is 
olive-brown, and in the Reed-Warbler russet-brown. There is no diffe- 
rence in the wing-formula of these two species. 
