348 A PEACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Reed -Warbler and not so broad at base. Nostrils mostly bare. 

 Rictal bristles finer and weaker. 



Soft parts. — Bill black-brown with base of lower mandible 

 yellowish-fiesh ; gape orange ; legs and feet pale dun-grey ; iris 

 broAvn. 



Characters. — No subspecies. For differences of A. aquations 

 see that species. Black streaked crown and mantle distinguishes 

 it from other British Acrocephali and small 1st primary from 

 Lusciniola melanopogon. 



Field -CHARACTERS. — More catholic than Reed-Warbler in its 

 habitat, is often found in hedgerows and tangled vegetation at some 

 distance from water, though its main haunts are osier-beds and 

 thickets by waterside. Less skulking in behaviour than Reed- 

 War bJcr and readily distinguished from that species and Marsh- 

 Warbler by its variegated head and back and distinct eye-stripe. 

 As loquacious as its congeners, sings by night and day, but song 

 wants the mellow quality of the Marsh-Warbler's, although equally 

 imitative, and has harsh notes that the Reed-Warbler's lacks. 

 Alarm-note a Ioav croak. 



Breeding-habits. — Nests in rank vegetation ; osier-beds, etc., 

 but also in hedgerows and bushes at a distance from water. Nest. — ■ 

 Generally within a foot or two of the ground, but exceptionally 

 4 or 5 ft. and even 10 ft. above it. Rather bulky, but not so deep 

 or cylindrical as Reed -Warbler, moss and dead grasses as founda- 

 tion and built of stalks and grass, generally lined hair, occasionally 

 a few feathers. Eggs. — 5-6, rarely 7, not vmlike Yellow Wagtail's, 

 being so thickly speckled with ochreous that ground is often hidden, 

 generally a dark hair-streak. A pink type has occasionally been 

 recorded and white eggs or almost white with few markings occur 

 exceptionally. Average of 100 eggs, 17.7 X 13.4 mm. Breeding- 

 season. — About May 20- June 10. Second brood sometimes reared. 

 Incubation. — Period in incubator, hatched on 15th day (W. Evans). 

 Fledging -period. — 10 days (Howard) ; 13-14 days (Brock). 



Food. — Insects and their larvae : diptera, neuroptera, small coleop- 

 tera. Also aphides, spiders, and according to Saunders small slugs 

 and worms ; Saxby also mentions small worms and Naumann elder- 

 berries. 



Distribution. — England, Wales, and Ireland. — Summer -resident. 

 Generally distributed. Occasionally occurs in Oct. (probably on 

 passage) and exceptionally in winter. Scotland. — Generally dis- 

 tributed but rarer in north, and very rare north-west ; scarce 

 Orkneys ; onlj^ once Shetland, but regular migrant spring, rare 

 autumn, Fair Isle ; scares breeder in some I. Hebrides, but absent 

 from others ; very rare vagrant O. Hebrides (Barra). 



