tineiital 

 Europe. 



281 



It nests in some numbers in the meres of Salop, Cheshire and Stafford- 

 shire, but only in the Trent valley in Derbyshire, and very locally in 

 Notts, although there are a few records of its breeding in Lancashire 

 and it is supposed to have nested in Cumberland. On the E. side, though 

 scarce in Lincolnshire, it certainly breeds in Yorkshire, especially in the 

 E. riding, while a few pairs are to be found in the N. and W., and it 

 has bred once in Durham according to Tristram. 



On the Continent the northern limit of this species extends to the con 

 S. shores of Lake Wener in Sweden and the southern Russian Baltic 

 Provinces, while its eastern range extends to Volhynia and Kiew, where 

 it is common. Either this or the Eastern form, A. strepera macronyx 

 (Sev.) also occurs on the Lower Volga and the Kirghis Steppes, but the 

 limits of the two forms are not yet defined. It breeds wherever suitable 

 marshy breeding places are available over the greater part of Europe, 

 south to Andalucia, Italy and Sicily, but not in Corsica and Sardinia, and 

 also breeds in the Balkan Peninsula to Greece and Thessaly. [No eggs 

 have yet been taken in N. W. Africa, but Hartert believes that it breeds 

 on Lake Fetzara, Algeria; and Krviper records it from Smyrna.] 



Characteristic: usually built among reeds at a height of from one Nest 

 to three feet above the water level. Occasionally it may be found among 

 coarse marsh vegetation in England, and in Andalucia Irby noticed many 

 nests on dead stems of Willow herb, while in some districts many nests 

 are built among osiers or in the branches of other trees and bushes, up 

 to 10 or even 20 ft. from the ground. Lilacs, snowberries, alders, elders, 

 and laurels are often chosen for this purpose, and though in some cases 

 the nest is built over water, it has also been found found at considerable 

 distances from the nearest stream. In shape the typical nest is somewhat 

 cylindrical and deep internally, so that the bird has been known to in- 

 cubate eggs when the wind has been strong enough to blow the reeds 

 almost to the water's edge. The materials used are chiefly dry grasses, 

 fragments of duckweed, and old reed flowers, lined with fine grasses or 

 reed tops and occasionally a feather or two, a bit of wool and a little 

 horsehair. The cock accompanies the hen while building, but does not 

 share the work, and in suitable spots it is usual to find several pairs 

 nesting not far from one another. 



Usually 4, sometimes 5 and very rarely 6 in number. They are Eggs 

 greenish white in ground colour, blotched and marbled, sometimes closely 

 and occasionally sparingly with dark olive brown and ashy grey, while 

 some markings are so dark as almost to be called black. Another but 

 much scarcer type has an almost pure white ground, boldly spotted with 

 brown or greenish brown. Major Proctor has two sets of this type, which 

 have only pale markings of greenish grey and lilac. Some eggs show 



