THE REED WARBLER. 65 



builder, while the male fetches materials and food. 

 The latter having collected some of the necessary 

 materials for the foundation of the fabric, the 

 female begins to interweave long stems of grass 

 at one end of the nest, and, traversing its edge, 

 lays in the remainder of the blade as she makes 

 circle after circle. Meanwhile the male is con- 

 stantly occupied in procuring materials, and in 

 supplying his mate with food. The latter takes 

 infinite pains to arrange all properly; and " she has 

 been seen," says Mr. Yarrell, " going backward 

 round the upper edge of the nest, arranging the 

 materials which formed the inner lining. The 

 labour and art employed in the completion of this 

 carefully formed nest, are only equalled by the 

 patience of its ingenious architect." 



The nest of the reed warbler is another very 

 beautiful instance of ingenious, and even scientific 

 construction. The gentleman who first described 

 this beautiful fabric, does so in the following 

 terms. " It is composed externally of dry stalks of 

 grass, lined, for the most part, with the flowery 

 tufts of the common reed, but sometimes with 

 small dead grasses, and a few black horsehairs to 

 cover them. This nest is usually found suspended 



