AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 119 



containing a Cuckoo's egg with three of those of the 

 rightful owners. 



Though our river valley cannot boast the pic- 

 turesque attractions of many other English streams, 

 it has a tranquil pastoral beauty of its own, and to 

 any one addicted to the study of nature it presents 

 many delights. On a balmy day in July or August a 

 cruise on our water, besides affording the occasional 

 chance of catching a good perch or two, is full of 

 interest. The Waterhens leading their downy young 

 through the mazes of water-weeds, the young broods 

 of Wild Ducks bustling out of some reedy nook at 

 the approach of the boat, the Kingfisher watching his 

 prey from an overhanging spray, or darting past like a 

 meteor, the Heron standing motionless on a favourite 

 shallow, the incessant song and rapid motions of the 

 Reed- and Sedge- Warblers, and the infinite variety of 

 insects and plants, to say nothing of all the delights 

 of home, together constitute a charm that I have 

 seldom experienced elsewhere, and for recording it 

 the Reed- Warbler must plead my excuse. The nest 

 of this species is usually, but by no means always, 

 built amongst reeds, occasionally in a bush, but, so 

 far as my observation goes, never far from water ; it 

 much resembles in materials and shape that of the 

 species last described, but is of course much smaller 

 the eggs are generally five, of a dirty white, thickly 

 spotted and blotched with greenish brown and grey. 

 I think that this species at all events occasionally 

 rears two broods, as I have often found nests con- 

 taining fresh eggs late in August. It appears from 

 Yarrell and other authors that the Marsh- Warbler 

 (Acrocephalus palustris) is said to have occurred 

 several times in England. This bird very closely 



