GRASSHOPPER WARBLER. 69 



high-sounding title, he is, on the other hand, as I have 

 pointed out elsewhere, often robbed of the credit really 

 his due by the Reed Bunting, whose more conspicuous 

 form enables him to appropriate the song of the Sedge 

 Warbler, hidden in the heart of the bush, whilst he 

 poses elegantly on the topmost spray. As a songster I 

 should be inclined to place the Sedge Warbler after 

 the Willow Warbler, and before the Whitethroat ; and, 

 like the latter of these birds especially, it may often be 

 heard to sing upon the wing, whilst in pursuit of those 

 insects which form its staple food. 



Mr. J. C. Atkinson calls the Sedge Warbler "this 

 everlasting little songster." The " Irish Nightingale " 

 is, however, the title by which he is best known at this 

 side of the Channel ; and certainly, if unwearied persist- 

 ency and marvellous mimicry are to be highly esteemed, 

 he does his best to console us for the absence of " the 

 noblest Roman of them all." The nest is usually in 

 bushes close to the ground, and near the water. The 

 eggs, five or six in number, are whitish, with spots of 

 dull brown. 



GRASSHOPPER WARBLER. 



Acrocephalus ncevius ; Becfin locustelle ; Busch 

 Rohrs anger. 



Cricket Bird ; Brakehopper. 



Bill and feet, brown ; upper plumage, brown, with 

 centres of feather darkest, so as to give the bird a 

 spotted appearance ; chin, throat, and breast, whitish ; 

 tail, long and cuneiform, and of a brown colour. 

 Length, five and a half inches. 



