118 BIEDS OF TUNISIA 



In its habits and life f^'enerally the Sedge- Warbler resembles the 

 Keed-Warbler to a great extent, although it is perhaps rather more 

 active and restless, and is consequently more often observed than that 

 bird and some of the other aquatic Warblers. Like most of its 

 congeners, however, the present species is fond of hiding, and frequents 

 the thickest clumps of reeds and sedges, where it more surely escapes 

 laotice. Amongst such vegetation it is in its element, and seems 

 to have no difficulty in creeping through places which appear to 

 be almost impenetrable. Occasionally, though rarely, the species is to 

 be found at some distance from any water, but this is very exceptional. 

 It is rather a noisy bird, and its song may sometimes be heard late in 

 the evening, or even at night. About sunset, however, is the hour 

 when it sings most lustily. Its notes, although powerful for so small 

 a bird, are not considered by good authorities to be very musical or 

 pleasing to the ear. The food of the species consists chiefly of water- 

 insects and worms. Its nest, which is placed in a bush or among rank 

 herbage, is built chiefly of fine grasses with a little lining of hair, and 

 its eggs, four or five in number, are of a buff-colour, streaked and 

 spotted with dark brown. Average measurements 16'50 X 12'50 mm. 



LOCUSTELLA NvEYIA (Boddaert). 

 GEASSHOPPEE-WARBLEE. 



Motacilla nzevia, Bodd. Tahl. des PL Enl. p. 35, No. 581 (1783). 

 Locustella nseyia, Dcgl. Orn. Eur. i, p. 589 (1849) ; Kocnig, J. f. 0. 



1888, p. 190 ; Eiianger, J. f. 0. 1898, p. 384. 

 Locustella locustella, Sccbohm, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. v, p. 115; 



Komig. J. f. 0. 1892, p. 389. 



Description.— AAvlM, spring, from Europe. 



Upper parts olive-browD, spotted with blackisb-brown ; quills and tail- 

 feathers dark brown, unspotted, the latter much rounded ; underparts whitish, 

 purer on the chin and abdomen, and tinged with yellow elsewhere ; under 

 tail-coverts very long, and with a brown shaft stripe. 



Total length 5 inches, wing 2-40, cuhuen -55, tarsus -75. 



Sexes alike. 



Mr. Salvin, when travelling in the Eastern Atlas, met with the 

 Grasshopper-Warbler, and the species has been obtained in Algeria, 



