Seuson. 



ments. 



282 



rich brown caps at the big end, and in others the markings are entirely 

 of smoky brown Avithout a tinge of green. 



Breeding ^hc first cggs are laid in England during the last ten days of May, 



but the breeding season is rather variable and many birds do not lay 

 till early June. This is also the case in Central Europe, but in Anda- 

 lucia eggs mey be found quite early in May. When the first laying is 

 taken the birds build again at once, and a second and if necessary a 

 third clutch may be found at intervals of about ten days. As fresh eggs 

 and young have frequently been found in August, it is evident that a 

 second brood is sometimes reared, in the south of England at any rate. 

 Incubation lasts 13—14 days (Naumann) and is apparently performed 

 by the hen. 



Measure- Avcragc of 100 cggs (55 by Rey and 45 by t-he writer), 18.2 X 13.62, 



Max. 21.4 X 14.2 and 19 X 14.6, Min. 16.3 X 12.4. A dwarf egg mea- 

 sures 14.7 X 10.8. Average weight, 90.5 mg. (Rey)_, 89 mg. (Bau). Average 

 weight of 20 full eggs, 1.633 g. (E. H. Read). 



[The Eastern form, A. strepera macronyx (Sev.), apparently breeds 

 from Transcaspia and Turkestan to Baluchistan and the Altai.] 



132. Marsh Warbler, Acrocephalus palustris (Bechst.). 



Plate 29, fig. 14—17 (Halle a Saale). 



Eggs: Thienemann, Fortpfl. Tab. XXI, fig. 7, a, b (and d)* He- 

 witson, III Ed., pi. XXXII, fig. 2.* Baedeker, Tab. 19, fi^. 16. Tac- 

 zanowski, Tab. XLIII, fig. 2. Seebohm, Br. Birds, pi. 10; id. Col. Fig. 

 pi. 52. Frohawk, B. Birds, I, pi. II, fig. 58—60. Howard, Br. Warblers, 

 pi. I, fig. 19—24. Dresser, pi. — , fig. 10—12. Nest: Kearton, Br. Birds' 

 Nests, p. 466. 



Foreign Names: Bohemia: Bakosnik bdhni. Denmark: Sumpsanger. 

 France: RousseroUe verderolle. Germany: Sunipfrohrsdnger. Holland: 

 Bosch-Rietzanger. Hungary: Enekes nddiposzdta. Italy: Cannaiola ver- 

 dognola. Poland: Lozowka. Russia: Kamyschefka. 



Acrocephalus palustris (Bechst.). Newton, ed. Yarrell, I, p. 373. Dresser, 

 B. of Europe, II, p. 573 and Man. Pal. Birds, p. 118. Saunders, Man. 

 p. 81. Hartert, Vog. Pal. Fauna, p. 562. 



Breeding Range: S. England, and Continental Europe, S. of the 

 Baltic and about lat. 59° in Russia, but scarce in S. Italy and absent 

 from the Mediterranean Isles and Greece. [Perhaps S. to Palestine.] 

 Britii=h Until recently the breeding range of this species was supposed to 



be restricted in England to Somerset, Gloucester, Oxford and Cambridge, 

 but later observations prove that it a visitor in small numbers to 



* Figured as Acrocephalus streperus. 



Isles. 



