THE SEDGE-WARBLER. n? 



Family TURDID^. Subfamily S YL VHN^E. 



THE SEDGE- WARBLER. 



Acrocephalus phragmitis, BECHST. 



OCCURS in Norway up to lat. 70, in Sweden and North Russia to lat. 68, 

 and in the valleys of the Obb and Yenessay to lat. 67. Southward it 

 breeds in North-west Turkestan, Palestine, Greece, and Central Italy, but in the 

 South of Europe generally it is only known as a migrant, though it is believed 

 that it sometimes breeds in Spain and the South of France : throughout the rest 

 of Europe it is pretty generally distributed, and abundant in suitable localities. 

 It visits Algeria and Egypt in the winter, passing thence to Damara-Land and 

 the Transvaal : it also seems probable, from the fact that Dixon shot the species 

 in May in Algeria, that a few examples remain to breed there. 



In Great Britain the Sedge- Warbler is more or less abundant everywhere, 

 excepting perhaps on the Shetlands ; it is however somewhat local in the extreme 

 north. 



Far more strikingly coloured than the Reed- Warbler, this well-known species 

 has a general resemblance to hens of the Orange Weaver-bird (Pyromelana francis- 

 canaj : the general colouring of the upper parts is golden-brown, with black centres 

 to the feathers ; but on the head the feathers would be more accurately described 

 as black, with lateral brown borders ; on the rump and upper tail-coverts they are 

 cinnamon reddish, without black centres ; the secondaries are blackish with broad 

 clear golden-brown borders ; the primaries smoky-grey, narrowly and more or less 

 distinctly edged at the tips with whitish ; tail feathers blackish, with whitish 

 margins ; a distinct broad pale buff superciliary streak ; lores and ear- coverts smoky 

 brown ; chin and throat white ; centre of abdomen whitish ; remainder of body below 

 buff; upper mandible blackish-brown, lower mandible yellowish horn-brown, darker 

 towards the tip ; feet pale brown ; iris bright hazel. The female is slightly duller 

 than the male, and the reddish colouring of the rump and upper tail-coverts is 

 less pronounced. Young birds have the breast transversely spotted with smoky 

 brown. 



The Sedge- Warbler appears at its breeding haunts towards the end of April, 

 or the beginning of May, and leaves us again in September or October. Although 



VOL. i. X 



