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provinces, in Finland in one or two localities only; was recognized by 

 Meves in the Onega district, and breeds regularly in the S. Petersburg 

 Government. In S. E. Russia it is however replaced by the next race. 

 In Austro-Hungary it is known to breed in most parts, Bohemia (rarely), 

 Lower Austria, Hungary (locally common), Galizia, Transsylvania, Sla- 

 vonia. AV. Tyrol, etc. In Switzerland it chieflv haunts low ground, but 

 is occasionally met with in valleys up to about 4500 ft., while in Italy 

 it is absent from the southern provinces, but breeds in Trentino, Veneto 

 and Lombardia and has been noticed in spring in Liguria. Nizzardo and 

 Piemonte. 



Generally most carefully concealed, and often so hidden by long Nest. 

 grass and scrub that it can only be found after most painstaking search, 

 even when the site is approximately known. In the broads of Norfolk 

 it often utters its reeling note from a reed, like Savi's Warbler, breeding 

 close to the water, but inland many pairs nest on dry hillsides, where 

 there is good cover, far from any water. On the slopes of the Pennines. 

 I have met with it in long heather on the fringe of the moors ; and osier 

 beds, plantations of saplings with long grass, water-meadows, commons 

 and tangled hedge bottoms, are all likely spots. As a rule the 'reel' may 

 be heard between 8 pm. and a few hours after sunrise, but also at times 

 in the middle of the day. (For interesting notes on the courtship and 

 breeding habits H. E. Howard's British Warblers, Pt. I, p. 1 — 25, 

 should be consulted). The nest usually rests in a grass tussock, close 

 to the ground, but occasionally as much as 18 in. or 2 ft. above it, 

 among thick brambles or undergrowth. On the continent it is said to 

 be sometimes placed in a cornfield, but in the British Isles only in the 

 adjacent hedge bottoms. A little moss, a few leaves, and bits of bracken 

 have been found in the foundation, but the actual nest is built almost 

 entirely of dead leaves of grasses and some stalks, and is fairly substantial, 

 but not particularly neatly constructed. Outer diameter about 4 in., 

 diameter of cup 2 — 21 in, depth 1 J — 2 in. In this nest the hen sits 

 with beak and tail pointing almost perpendicularly upwards, but is not 

 easy to see, as the nest is generally quite hidden from above by rank 

 grass or scrub. 



Typically 6, but sometimes only 5. Most books give 7 as found Eggs, 

 occasionally, but I can only find one nest recorded with this number. 

 They are generally thickly and uniformly speckled with very fine reddish 

 brown spots on a creamy or pinkish white ground, and have little gloss. 

 Sometimes the spots form a zone usually at the big end, and a purple 

 or almost black hair streak is also not infrequently met with. Violet 

 grey shell markings are not always present, but are sometimes conspicuous. 

 In one very pretty variety in A. W. Johnson's collection there is a zone 



18* 



