94 Summer Studies of Birds and Books CHAP. 



them has examined a really extensive series of the 

 skins of both our species for purposes of comparison. 

 The fact is that we must take the bird as he has 

 chosen in the course of ages to make himself recog- 

 nisable by his song, or, it may be, by his eggs. And 

 we must look out for that song and those eggs not 

 on the reedy banks of streams, where the Reed Warbler 

 is most commonly to be found, but on dry ground 

 not far from water, where there is some kind of low 

 cover such as that which is afforded by osiers, 

 meadowsweet, nettles, and other plants which thrust 

 up stems in crowded bunches. When we have made 

 sure of him in this way we can examine his appear- 

 ance at leisure, for if the cover be not too dense he will 

 soon be seen perched on some prominent stalk, pour- 

 ing forth his " chanson matinale" as Fatio aptly calls 

 it. The first time I ever watched him thus delight- 

 fully engaged I took a note of his appearance on the 

 spot, and the points I specially noticed were his 

 white throat, which is fluffed out as he sings, his 

 brown head without any visible stripe over the eye 

 though there seems to be reason to believe that 

 this becomes slightly apparent in mature individuals, 

 his olive -brown back, and flesh-coloured legs. 

 This description tallies fairly well with those of more 

 learned ornithologists, and I do not think that I could 

 now add anything of importance to it. The Eeed 

 Warbler as a living bird differs slightly in having a 



