MIMICRY OF SEDGE-WARBLER 215 



them are yet superior to the others, and of such I 

 have noticed not a few. This bird generally 

 strings together many imitations in one phrase, the 

 song being usually commenced with the ordinary 

 notes, jig jig, and afterwards varied in mimicry. 

 The sedge-warbler (like the lark, robin, and thrush) 

 repeats these imitations with varying degrees of 

 rapidity, and in a repeated order of succession, so 

 that it may be said to construct its own strains out 

 of the songs of other birds. On 4th June 1892, 

 near Crudwell, Glos., I heard a sedge-warbler utter- 

 ing one of these original phrases again and again. 

 It began slowly, jig jig, followed by an exact re- 

 production of the chissick of the house -sparrow. 

 Thus the strain ran, jig jig chissick, and so on ; 

 only the pace was greatly increased as the phrase 

 proceeded ; and this was concluded with ordinary 

 imitations. It also sang jig fink, the second note 

 being exactly that of the chaffinch ; and in this case 

 also the repetition was accelerated as it progressed. 

 In precisely the same manner, the bird repeated the 

 tell tell of the house-sparrow with the fink fink of the 

 chaffinch, and the common alarm-cry (clittif] of the 

 swallow with the/z^ jig of the sedge- warbler. This 

 individual is mentioned as especially exemplifying 

 a habit general in the species. At Lower Doring- 



