330 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



moulted August-December, but not wing-feathers or primary- 

 coverts, and apparently not greater coverts. Summer. — Probably 

 a moult in March and April, after which it would appear to become 

 indistinguishable from adult. No spring moulting specimens, 

 however, have been available. 



Measurements and structure. — o wing 61-68 mm., tail 49-54, 

 tarsus 20.5-23, bill from skull 12-14.5 (12 measured). $ wing 

 59-65. Primaries : 1st equal to or 1-2 mm. shorter or longer than 

 jmrnary-coverts, 3rd longest, 2nd and 4th 2-4 shorter, 5th 3-6 

 shorter, 6th 5-10 shorter ; 3rd emarginated outer web and distinct 

 notch on inner w^eb of 2nd. Outer primaries slightly curved, but 

 not so much as in L. luscinoides. Secondaries slightly shorter than 

 10th primary, tips rounded. Tail as L. luscinoides, but tijDS of 

 feathers more pointed. Rest of structure as L. luscinoides. 



Soft parts. — Bill black-broAvn, basal portion of lower mandible 

 flesh-broMii ; legs and feet pale flesh-brown ; iris reddish -brown. 



Characters. — No subspecies. Easily distinguished from other 

 British Locustellce by whitish tips to tail-feathers. 



Breeding-habits. — Nests much like our Grasshoi:)per- Warbler, 

 in tussocks of grass or rank vegetation in Avet and moss-growii 

 meadows. Nest. — Well concealed in grass, with side entrance ; 

 built of mosses and gi'ass. Eggs. — Normallj' 5, but ranging from 

 4 to 6, thickly covered so as to obscure the ground, Avith pinkish- 

 brown spots, occasionally a dark hair-streak. Average of 16 eggs, 

 18.8 X 13.7 mm. Breeding-season. — June. 



Food. — Lynes records larvae and small insects in stomach. 



Distribution. — Ireland. — One. Male, Rockabill Light (Dubhn), 

 Sept. 28, 1908 (ut supra). 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Siberia and Altai to Pacific, wintering 

 in India, Burma, Greater Sunda and Natuna Islands. Once 

 Heligoland. 



LOCUSTELLA N^VIA 



139. Locustella naevia naevia (Bodd.)— THE GRASSHOPPER- 

 WARBLER. 



MoTAciLLA N-EViA Boddaei't, Tabl. PI. Enl., p. 35 (1783 — ex Daubenton 

 pi. 581, 3 : Italy). 



Acrocephalus ncevlus (Boddaert), Yarrell, i, p. 384 ; Locustella ncevia 

 (Boddaert), Saunders, p. 89. 



Description (Plate 12). — Adult male and female. Winter. — Whole 

 upper -parts yelloAvish olive-browii, each feather Avith dark broA\ n 

 central streak ; rump rather less streaked than rest of iij^per-partts ; 

 upper tail-coverts more reddish -broAAii (not so oli\'e) and without 



