THE GREAT REED -WARBLER. 



335 



Key to species of genus Acrocephalus . 



Top of head uniform 2 



Top of head streaked 5 



Much larger, wings over 80 mm. . . .A. arundinaceus p. 335 

 Much smaller, wings under 80 mm. . 3 



2nd primary shorter than 5th . . . . A. dumetoruni,^. 344 

 2nd primary longer than 5th . . .4 



Attenuation of inner web of 2nd primary begins 



between tip of secondaries and 8th primary . A. scirpaceua, p. 339 

 Attenuation of imier web of 2nd primary begins 



before tip of 8th A. palustris, p. 34i* 



Conspicuous light lino along middle of crown, 



upper tail-coverts distinctly spotted . . A. aquatic us, p. 34'J 



Xo obvious light line along middle of crown, 



upper tail-coverts not distinctly spotted . A.schoenohcBnus, p. 346 



ACROCEPHALUS ARUNDINACEUS 



141. Acrocephalus arundinaceus arundinaceus 

 GREAT REED-WARBLER. 



(L.)— THE 



TuRDUS ARUNDINACEUS Linuseus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 170 (1758 — 

 ex Klein : Danzig). 



Acrocephalus arundinaceus (Linnaeus), Yarrell, i, p. 364 ; Acrocephalus 

 turdoides (Meyer), Saimders, p. 83. 



Description. — Achilt male 

 and female. ^Y inter. — 

 Whole upper-parts warm 

 olive-brown, crown darker, 

 and back, rump, and upper 

 tail-coverts more taA\iiy- 

 brown ; narrow stripe from 

 nostrils, over and behind 

 eye cream-colour ; lores 

 and ear-coverts broAvn ; 

 chin, throat, and centre of 

 belly white with varying 

 number of narrow brown 

 shaft -streaks on feathers 

 are absent 



Great Reed- Warbler 

 (Acrocephalus a. arundinaceus). 



of lower-throat but sometimes these 

 rest of under-parts, including under tail-coverts, 

 under wing-coverts and axillaries creamy- to tawny buff, darkest 

 on flanks ; tail bro\m with narrow whitish tips ; wing-feathers 

 dark browai with small whitish tips and outer and iiuier webs 

 narrowly edged pale brown ; all wing-coverts as upper- parts 

 with rather paler edges. This plumage is acquired by com- 

 plete moult in Aug.-Nov. Summer — A complete moult (including 



