60 OUR RARER BIRDS 



The Grasshopper Warbler breeds late, its eggs seldom 

 being laid before the end of May. As may readily be 

 supposed, the nest is artfully concealed amongst the vegeta- 

 tion in which the bird delights to skulk. A favourite 

 situation is in amongst the rank grass through which brambles 

 and rose-briars twine, or in the weedy bottom of a dense hedge- 

 row. The nest is also made in the dead grass at the bottom of 

 the gorse bushes, and amongst ferns and bluebells and long 

 grass on the banks of a woodland stream. In most cases a 

 natural arch of grass bends over the nest, almost if not 

 entirely concealing it from view. The nest is made of broad 

 leaves of dead grasses, intermixed with moss and dry leaves, 

 and lined with fine grass and rootlets. The eggs are from 

 four to six in number, pinkish-white in ground colour, pro- 

 fusely spotted and sprinkled with reddish-brown and pale 

 gray. On some eggs the markings are mostly collected in a 

 zone round the large end ; on others a few streaks are observ- 

 able, whilst in many the pale gray markings predominate. 

 In spite of what has been said to the contrary, I am of opinion 

 that the Grasshopper Warbler only rears one brood in the 

 season. Eggs may be found quite late in June, or even in 

 the beginning of July, but they are doubtless the produce 

 of birds whose earlier efforts were unfortunate. When 

 the nest is approached the sitting bird runs off like a mouse, 

 always preferring to creep through the vegetation rather than 

 take wing. She soon returns to her charge again, and 

 stealthily reaches her nest unheard and unseen. It is diffi- 

 cult to state the exact time when this skulking little creature 

 returns to his winter home in the south, but I for my part 

 never see him after the beginning of September. 



The habits of birds are puzzling in the extreme. A strong 

 robust bird like the Eed -backed Shrike leaves this country 

 for no apparent reason when autumn days foretell the 

 early approach of winter ; whilst the delicate and frail little 



