WARBLERS 33 



Bird. Length 4'9 in. Distinguished by the pale brown 

 legs from the chiffchaff, which see. 



Nest. Unlike the chiffchafFs it is 

 usually on or near the ground, in 

 grass and other herbage, or in bank 

 sides, and may be found either in 

 woodland or on commons, away from < 

 trees. Domed with entrance at the 

 side. Material: grass, moss, leaves, 

 and other material lined with feathers. 



Eggs. Usually 6-7. White spotted 

 with reddish - brown. Occasionally 

 freckled and rarely blotched with 

 light chestnut. Underlying marks violet-grey. Av. size, 

 *60 x '48 in. Laying begins April-May. Usually one brood. 



60. Wood-warbler [Phylloscopus sibilatrix sibilatrix (Bech- 

 stein)]. Summer visitor to woodland districts, but local. 

 Scarce in Ireland. 



Bird. Length 5J in. Distinguished from the chiffchaff and 

 willow-wren by its larger size, longer wings, sulphur-yellow 

 eye-stripe, throat, and flanks, and generally brighter hues. 

 The male, in summer, has the upper-parts yellowish-green. 

 Under-parts whitish, except throat and flanks, which are 

 sulphur-yellow. Tail and wings brown with yellowish-green 

 edgings and whitish tips. Female duller. 



Nest. Usually on or near the ground in dead bracken or 

 mixed herbage. Material : bracken, grass, leaves, &c., with 

 a lining of finer grasses and hair but not feathers, in which 

 this nest differs from that of the two above. Domed. 



Eggs. Usually 6-7. White spotted dark red-brown, in- 

 clining to purplish-red. Av. size, '62 x *34 in. Laying begins 

 in latter half of May. One brood. 



61. Reed-warbler [Acrocephalus streperus streperus (Vieillot)]. 

 Summer visitor to most parts of England and Wales. Absent 

 from Scotland and Ireland. 



Bird. Length 5J in. Almost impossible to distinguish from 

 the much rarer marsh-warbler. The best means of identifica- 

 tion is provided by the nesting-habits, eggs (see below), 

 and by the very superior song of the marsh-warbler, which 

 song has been described as " more silvery, high-pitched, sweet, 

 and varied than that of any other species of warbler with which I 

 am acquainted " (Warde Fowler). " It gave me the impression 

 of the song of a reed-warbler with the voice and execution of 

 a blackcap " (W. Farren). Its alarm-note is " a kind of musical 

 crake " (Warde Fowler). In the reed-warbler the upper-parts 

 are olive-brown inclining to rufous, especially on the rump. 



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