208 THE SEDGE BIRD. 



»iR. sweet's account of the beed warbler. 



This is a very variable bird in its colours, some being of a 

 ver^^ pale colour, and others altogether as dark, and those that 

 are pale one season frequently become dark the ensuing one. It 

 is a curious little lively bird, known often by the name of reed 

 wren. It generally makes its appearance with us the beginning 

 of April, and leaves us in September. Its early or late departure 

 seems to depend a good deal on the warmth or coolness of the 

 seasons. It is a very merry bird, almost continually singing, 

 and will sing by night as w^ell as by day, sitting amongst the 

 reeds, or in some bush or tree near the water, where it feeds on 

 the gnats and other insects that infest moist situations. It 

 is very fond of flies, spiders, small caterpillars, moths, grass 

 hoppers, crickets, and many other insects, and will swallow a 

 larger one than could be imagined for so small a bird. In con- 

 finement it will feed readily on the general food, and is also very 

 fond of the yolk of an egg boiled hard, so that it may be 

 crumbled on the top of the other food, or put in the cage in an 

 empty egg-shell. It should also be supplied with a few insects 

 occasionally, such as flies, spiders, small caterpillars, moths, or 

 butterflies. Being an inhabitant of the sides of ditches and 

 rivers, it is very partial to washing, which it must not be 

 allowed to do in winter, or it will wash itself until it is so weak 

 that it can never recover. 



THE SEDGE BIRD. 



SylTia Phragmitis, Bechstein ; S. salicaria, Latham ; Le Bee-fin Phragmite, 

 Temminck; Der Schilsanger, Meyer. 



The weight of this species is about three drachms ; length 

 five inches and a half; bill dusky above, whitish beneath; 

 irides hazel ; crown of the head and whole upper parts of a 

 yellowish brown, plain on th^e back and sides of the neck, 

 rump, and upper tail-coverts ; tail like the quills a little 

 cuneiform, which, when spread, gives it a rounded shape ; legs 

 dusky. 



