466 BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 



The female resembles the male, but is somewhat 

 smaller in size. 



Situation and Locality. A celebrated Continental 

 authority says that the nest is situated in low bushes, 

 overgrown with nettles, reeds, and other plants, and 

 that, unlike the Reed Warbler, which builds its nest 

 amongst the reeds growing from the water, this bird 

 builds its nest amongst vegetation growing from the 

 bank of a stream or pond, and is never situated 

 over water. The limited number of nests I have 

 seen certainly answered this description exactly. 

 The structure is placed from a few inches to several 

 feet from the ground in swamps and other places 

 affording plenty of rough undergrowth cover. 

 It has been met with in the west of England, 

 where our illustrations were secured in Surrey, 

 and in the Fen country. 



Materials. Dry grass-stems, dead leaves, moss, 

 and downy-fibre, with a lining of horsehair. The 

 nest is not so deep as that of the Reed Warbler, 

 and lacks the wool which is so often used by the 

 last-named bird. 



Eggs. Four to seven, varying in ground-colour 

 from greenish-white to greenish-blue, moderately 

 clouded and spotted with olive-brown, and under- 

 lying markings of grey. The spots vary in size, 

 intensity, quantity, and disposition, but are generally 

 most numerous at the larger end of the egg. Their 

 paler ground-colour generally distinguishes them 

 from those of the Reed Warbler. Size about .72 

 by .54 in. (See Plate IV.) 



Time. June and July. 



Remarks. Migratory, arriving in May and de- 

 parting in August. Notes: call and alarm, very 

 similar to those of the Reed Warbler, but the song 



