THE PEKCHING BIRDS. 147 



two of which were on the south coast, the third in 

 Leicestershire. 



Rare in northern Scotland and the isles, the Sedge- 

 warbler is found in most parts of these islands from April 



* Sedge- to the end of September. It has a yellowish 

 warbler, streak over the eye, the crown is buff and the 



throat white. It feeds on aquatic and other insects. The 

 nest, of moss lined with hair, is perhaps less often hung 

 among the sedges than among bushes close to the water's 

 edge, though I have taken eggs from both situations, early 

 in June, not far from Bingwood. Eggs, 5 or 6, inch ; 

 yellow, with black spots and streaks. 



Fairly common in Great Britain, save in the extreme 

 north of Scotland, from April to September, the Grass- 



* Grass- hopper Warbler is very local in Ireland. The 

 hopper underparts are very pale brown. The name 



ar er * has reference to the curiously vibrating song, 

 which, like that of the reed -warbler, is often heard in 

 the stillness of a summer night. Its food consists of 

 insects. The nest is of grass lined with finer grasses, and 

 placed near the ground. Eggs, 5, nearly ^ inch ; pinky 

 white, with brown spots. A second brood is reared. 



\SavC 9 Warbler, which formerly bred in the eastern 

 counties, has, singularly enough, not been seen in this 

 country for the last forty years.] 



3. THE HEDGE-SPARROW. 



The Hedge-Sparrow is one of the commonest of our 

 country birds. In order to emphasise its distinction from 

 the true sparrows, most naturalists have preferred to give 

 it the somewhat cumbersome name of Hedge-Accentor, 

 which seems hardly necessary so long as the distinction is 

 borne in mind. Another of its many aliases is " Shuffle- 

 wing," by which it is widely known. The song, which is 



