Ill 



history of that district, but for a considerable time not 

 a sight of the bird could be obtained. We called it the 

 reel bird, on account of the resemblance of its monoto- 

 nous note to the continuous whirr of the reel, at that 

 time used by the hand-spinners of wool. At length it 

 was discovered uttering its singular song (if so it may 

 be called), from the top of an alder bush that grew in 

 the midst of a large patch of sedge, into which it fell 

 like a stone as soon as it was approached. After, how- 

 ever, much patience and caution, it again re-ascended 

 the alder and was shot. It is a very shy bird, and in its 

 habits seems to resemble the grasshopper lark (warbler), 

 creeping among the sedge in search probably of insects 

 and small mollusks. It was submitted to the inspection 

 of the celebrated ornithologist, Temminck, whilst he 

 was in London at the sale of Mr. Bullock's museum.* 

 He was puzzled, and requested permission to take it 

 with him to the continent, to compare it with specimens 

 in his own splendid collection. He returned it with his 

 opinion that it was a variety of the reed wren, and as 

 such it is noticed in their f Catalogue' by Messrs. Shep- 

 pard and Whitear. I afterwards gave instructions to a 

 marshman at Strumpshaw, of the name of Waters, who 

 procured another specimen, which I presented to my 

 friend, Edward Lombe, Esq., in whose splendid collec- 

 tion of British birds it probably may be found, under 

 Temminck's nomenclature, as the reed wren, or as 

 Sylvia luscinioides.'f As the note is peculiar to the 

 male, the female, eggs, and nest are probably desiderata, 



* This remarkable sale took place in the spring of 1819. The 

 bird in question was therefore very probably killed in that year, at 

 all events it could not have been obtained later. 



f I have lately seen this specimen, which, under the name of 

 " Savi's Warbler," is still preserved in the late Mr. Lombe' s 

 collection, now in the possession of his daughter, Mrs. E. P. 

 Clarke, of Wymondham. 



