no The Rekd-Waruler. 



something further respecting it. On the 27th June, he wrote to me from Down- 

 ton, as follows : — " I will forward, per parcel post, to you, another nest like the 

 one you have. I found it last Saturday with three young birds and one egg. I 

 went again to-da}' and found the 3'oung ones just ready to fl}-. I managed to 

 shoot one of the old ones with a catapult, but could not manage to get the 

 other, although I waited about three hours. The nest was overhanging the water, 

 about fifty yards from where I got the other." 



The egg and birds forwarded with this second nest were quite normal, and I 

 regretted that specimens had been destro3'ed in order to prove the fact: however, 

 the birds have not died in vain. 



The number of eggs in a clutch varies from five to six ; they are dull 

 greenish-white, mottled, or streakily spotted with olive, and with slightly greyer 

 shell-markings ; the spots frequentl}^ collect in a dark zone round the larger end, 

 and are rendered richer b}^ the addition of one or two black dots ; but, excepting 

 in the paucit}^ or density of the markings, the eggs of this species vary very 

 little ; the}' always have a dull, blurred appearance. 



The music of the Reed- Warbler is very poor and weak, with very little 

 variation ; it sounds more like the clamouring of nestlings for food, than the 

 love-song of an adult bird ; it has the same querulous peevishness in its tones at 

 times, but especially when one is approaching the nest. Some bird-lovers speak 

 of it as " pleasing," but so are all the cries of our wild birds, however deficient 

 they may be in melody. 



This bird nevertheless is by no means destitute of the powers of mimicry. 

 The late Charles A. Witchell, in his fascinating book "The evolution of bird- 

 song," pp. 221-2, observes: — "A Reed- Warbler heard by me at Brimscombe, near 

 Stroud, imitated many times the cries of the Starling, including the common cry 

 of alarm (the ca// employed as an alarm to the young) and the song of the Starling. 

 A pair of the latter species had a nest within ten yards of the singer ; hence I 

 was able to compare the imitations (which were excellent) with their originals. 

 The Swallow, Wagtail, and House-Sparrow were also abundantly imitated. The 

 Swallow's song was capitally rendered seven times successfull}'. Mr. H. C. Plaj-e 

 informs me that he has heard numbers of these birds near Oxford, and that they 

 are good mimics." 



The food of the Reed-Wai'bler consists chiefly of the numerous insects and 

 their larvse which abound upon the reeds and sedges, of spiders, small worms, 

 slugs, and, when they are ripe, of small fruits and berries. In captivity it would 

 probably eat the usual soft food ; but I sliould hardly think it would make a 

 specially interesting aviary pet. 



