THE REED WARBLER. 59 



' There/ says Selby, ' the well-known babbling notes of 

 this wakeful little bird proclaim its presence in many un- 

 suspected situations.' 



Where rushes hide the stagnant pool, or fringe the gliding stream, 

 And in the sunshine dragon-flies, like winged jewels, gleam; 

 Where on the borders of the marsh the stunted hawthorns grow, 

 And thrift, and wild sea-lavender, shed o'er a purple glow ; 

 Where alders tremulously stand, and osier twigs are seen 

 To dance unto the singing breeze, like fairies clad in green ; 

 Where drooping willows kiss the wave, and whistling reeds in ranks 

 Incline their velvet heads unto the shores and shelving banks ; 

 Where dives the sullen water-rat ; where leaps the speckled frog ; 

 And flies and midges gaily sport above the quaking bog ; 

 'Tis there the blithe Sedge Warbler dwells, and there his nest he 



builds, 



In rushy tuft, or whatsoe'er the needful shelter yields ; 

 'Tis there he singeth constantly, a sweet, though scarce-heard song, 

 When skies are beautifully blue, and summer days are long, 

 And sometimes in the misty morn, and sometimes in the night, 

 He chaunteth out right merrily, to show his heart is light : 

 He glanceth 'twixt the bending reeds, he skimmeth o'er the tide, 

 And many a snug retreat is there, his form from foes to hide ; 

 Come weal, come woe, his constant mate still sitteth on her nest, 

 And food is plentiful, that he may pick and choose the best ; 

 And for his rising family he hath no anxious cares, 

 Like men, that know the world is full of pitfalls and of snares, 

 With fears, that truly prophesy, his heart is never stirred ; 

 He is unconscious of all these oh, happy, happy bird ! 



THE REED WARBLER (Calamoherpe arundinaced). This 

 bird is described by Macgillivray as about five inches and 

 a half long, and as being very like the Sedge Eeedling, from 

 which it is readily distinguished by its more slender elon- 

 gated bill, the absence of a white streak over the eye, and 

 the uniform tint of the upper parts of the body, which is 

 a light olive brown, the lower part being pale yellow, and 

 the throat white. i It has not hitherto been observed in 

 Scotland, nor in the northern counties of England. In 

 Holland it is very abundant ; but it is chiefly to the south- 

 eastern portions of our island that its summer visits are 

 extended. It frequents marshy places, margined or over- 

 grown with reeds and other aquatic plants, among which it 

 searches for its food, insects, worms and slugs, in the hideling 



