348 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Reed -War bier and not so broad at base. Nostrils mostly bare. 

 Rictal bristles finer and weaker. 



Soft parts. Bill black-brown with base of lower mandible 

 yellowish-flesh ; gape orange ; legs and feet pale dun-grey ; iris 

 brown. 



CHARACTERS. No subspecies. For differences of A. aquaticus 

 see that species. Black streaked crown and mantle distinguishes 

 it from other British Acrocephali and small 1st primary from 

 Lusciniola melanopogon. 



FIELD -CHARACTERS. More catholic than Reed -War bier in its 

 habitat, is often found in hedgerows and tangled vegetation at some 

 distance from water, though its main haunts are osier-beds and 

 thickets by waterside. Less skulking in behaviour than Reed- 

 Warbler and readily distinguished from that species and Marsh- 

 Warbler by its variegated head and back and distinct eye-stripe. 

 As loquacious as its congeners, sings by night and day, but song 

 wants the mellow quality of the Marsh -Warbler's, although equally 

 imitative, and has harsh notes that the Reed -War bier's lacks. 

 Alarm -note a low croak. 



BREEDING-HABITS. Nests in rank vegetation ; osier-beds, etc., 

 but also in hedgerows and bushes at a distance from water. Nest . 

 Generally within a foot or two of the ground, but exceptionally 

 4 or 5 ft. and even 10 ft. above it. Rather bulky, but not so deep 

 or cylindrical as Reed-Warbler, moss and dead grasses as founda- 

 tion arid built of stalks and grass, generally lined hair, occasionally 

 a few feathers. Eggs. 5-6, rarely 7, not unlike Yellow Wagtail's, 

 being so thickly speckled with ochreous that ground is often hidden, 

 generally a dark hair-streak. A pink type has occasionally been 

 recorded and white eggs or almost white with few markings occur 

 exceptionally. Average of 100 eggs, 17.7 X 13.4 mm. Breeding- 

 season. About May 20- June 10. Second brood sometimes reared. 

 Incubation. Period in incubator, hatched on 15th day (W. Evans). 

 Fledging-period. 10 days (Howard) ; 13-14 days (Brock). 



FOOD. Insects and their larvae : diptera, neuroptera, small coleop- 

 tera. Also aphides, spiders, and according to Saunders small slugs 

 and worms ; Saxby also mentions small worms and Naumann elder- 

 berries. 



DISTRIBUTION. England, Wales, and Ireland. Summer -resident. 

 Generally distributed. Occasionally occurs in Oct. (probably on 

 passage) and exceptionally in winter. Scotland. Generally dis- 

 tributed but rarer in north, and very rare north-west ; scarce 

 Orkneys ; only once Shetland, but regular migrant spring, rare 

 autumn, Fair Isle ; scares breeder in some I. Hebrides, but absent 

 from others ; very rare vagrant 0. Hebrides (Barra). 



