ments. 



284 



is from 10 to 15 June. Mc Gregor took a clutch in Macedonia on May 

 21 and Schmitz reports eggs in Palestine on April 14, but in Germany 

 and Holland eggs are rarely found before the first week of June. Only 

 one brood is reared, and incubation lasts 13 days (Bau), 14 — 15 (W. 

 W. Fowler), and is performed by the hen, who is relieved by the cock 

 for part of the afternoon. 

 Measure- Avcrage of 130 Continental eggs (54 by Rey, 45 by Bau and 31 by 



Hartert), 18.83 X 13.67. The largest eggs recorded appear to be 21.5x14 

 (Noack) and 17x14.8 (G. v. Boxberger): Min. 17x14.8 (L. v. Box- 

 berger) and 18 X 10 (Hartert). Dwarf eggs measure 10.5 X 9, 11 X 9 etc. 

 Average weight, 100.4 mg. (Rey). British eggs average a little larger, 

 19.13 X 13.8 mm. 



133. BIyth's Reed Warbler, Acrocephalus dumetorutn Blyth. 



Plate 26, fig. 19 (Altai.)." 



Eggs: Cat. Eggs Br. Mus., IV, pi. IX, fig. 1, 4. Dresser, pi. — , 

 fig. 4—6. 



Foreign Names: Finland: Viitakerttu. Russia: Ssadowaja Malinofka. 

 Arroceplialiis dumetorum Blyth. Dresser, B. of Europe, II, p. 561 and 

 Man. Pal. Birds, p. 116. Hartert, Vog. Pal. Fauna, p. 563. 



Breeding Range: Chiefly in N. E. Russia. [Also W. Siberia to 

 the Himalayas and the Altai range.] 



In Europe the range of this species is confined to Russia, where 

 Europe, it has bceu met with as far west as the S. Petersburg government, while 

 probably its northern range extends to Archangel, and its southern limit 

 beyond the governments of Novgorod, Twer, Moscow, Tula, and east to 

 Orenburg. [In Asia it is found in W. Siberia, Transcaspia. Turkestan, 

 the Altai range, Bokhara, and the Himalayas.] 

 Nest. Hulton and Anderson describe Indian nests as domed, with an en- 



trance at the side and built in thick bushes: built of coarse dry grasses 

 and lined with finer bents, but rather loosely put together. On the other 

 hand Pleske quotes Bianchi and others as having taken nests in Russia 

 resembling those of the Marsh Warbler, built of stalks and leaves of 

 grasses, with some admixture of leaves, down or cobwebs, and lined 

 with hair in small or large quantities. Diameter of cup, 2 — 21 in., 

 depth li — II in. The song of the male is rich and the alarm note a 

 sharp 'Tick, tick'. 

 Eggs. Usually 4 or 5, occasionally 6. They are very variable: some eggs 



are pale pink in ground colour, blotched or spotted irregularly with 

 violet grey and pinkish brown: others are white, similarly marked with 

 olive brown and violet: a third type is also white, with fine rufous specks. 



Con 

 tinental 



