344 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Breeding-habits. — Haunts osier-beds and banks of streams, but 

 also tangled hedge -bottoms, edges of cornfields, etc., not necessarily 

 near water. Nest. — Shallower and more War bier -like than that 

 of Reed-Warbler, and fixed by " basket -handles " to supporting 

 vegetation ; built dry grasses, lined roots and few hairs, and 

 fastened to willow herb or other plants at about 2 to 4 ft. above 

 ground. Eggs. — 4 or 5, very rarely 6 ; ground bluish or greenish- 

 white, rather scantily and boldly spotted and blotched with olive- 

 brown and ashy shell -marks, as well as fine blackish specks. 

 Average of 22 British eggs, 18.9 X 14.1 mm. Breeding -season. — 

 About second or third week of June in England. Single -brooded. 



Food. — Marsh -haunting insects and their larvse : diptera, neurop- 

 tera, lepidoptera, coleoptera, etc. Also aphides and spiders. 

 According to Naumann berries are also taken (currant, elder, 

 bird -cherry and dogwood). 



Distribution. — England. — Summer-resident arriving late May or 

 early June. Apparently scarce and local, but distribution still 

 not well known. Has been recorded as nesting in : Somerset, 

 several districts regularly ; Dorset, 1897, (?) 1908, 1917 (probably), 

 1919 ; Wilts., once, 1900 ; Hants., 1907 and twice previously ; 

 Sussex, twice, 1903, 1917 ; Kent, twice, 1905 and 1909 ; Surrey, 

 once, 1907 ; Gloucester, frequently ; Oxon., annually for several 

 years ; Bucks., once, 1909 ; Berks., twice, 1918 ; Hunts., once, 

 1917 ; Cambs., 1909 and once previously ; Norfolk, possibly once 

 about 1880 ; Staffs., 1914, 1916, 1918 ; Warwick, 30 or 40 years ago 

 and 1917 ; Worcester, in some numbers. Scotland. — Vagrant, 

 one St. Kilda (0. Hebrides), Sept. 1910 ; Fair Isle (Shetlands) one, 

 Sept, 1906, one June 1913, one June 1914. 



Distribution — Abroad. — Europe from Denmark and Russian 

 Baltic Provinces to south Spain (?), Italy, Montenegro, and Bulgaria, 

 east to Ural (Orenburg) and Caspian Sea. Winters in Africa, 

 south to Natal and Pondoland. 



ACROCEPHALUS DUMETORUM 



145. Acrocephalus dumetorum Blyth — BLYTH'S REED- 

 WARBLER. 



AcEOCEPHALTJS DUMETORUM Blyth, Joum. As. Soc. Bengal, xviii, p. 815 

 (1849 — New name for the Sylvia montana or Acrocephalus montanus oi 

 Indian authors, which had been erroneously identified with Horsfield's 

 Sylvia montana — India). 



Acrocephalus dumetonim Blyth, W. E. Clarke, Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1911, 

 p. 70. 



Description. — Adult male and female. Winter. — Coloration like 

 A. palustris and very difficult to distinguish but usually rather 



