THE GRASSHOPPER BIRD. 



Locustella avicula, RAY ; Sylvia locustella, LATHAM ; L'Alouette locustelle, 

 BDFFON ; Der Fleuschrechensanger, MEYER. 



THIS species is less than the white-throat ; length five inches 

 nnd a half; weight about three drachms and a quarter. The 

 Dill is dusky above, whitish beneath ; irides light hazel. The 

 whole upper parts of the bird are olivaceous brown ; the middle 

 of each feather dusky, except on the back of the neck, which 

 gives it a pretty spotted appearance ; the tail is much cuneiform, 

 and the feathers somewhat pointed, which is a very marked and 

 peculiar character in this species ; the outer feather being full 

 an inch shorter than the middle ones, and nearly rounded at 

 the tips, the whig remarkably short, reaching very little beyond 

 the base of the tail ; legs very pale brown ; claws light-horn 

 colour ; hind claw short and crooked. 



In shape, the grasshopper warbler very much resembles the 

 sedge-bird ; is rather inferior in size, and at once distinguished 

 by its spotted back. 



MR. SWEET'S ACCOUNT OP THE GRASSHOPPER BIRD. 

 The present species is known amongst bird-catchers by the 

 name of the grasshopper lark, and it was originally placed 

 amongst the larks by ornithologists, but has been very properly 

 removed from them by later authors, as it wants the most cha- 

 racteristic mark of that family, namely, its long claw. It is a 

 very rare bird in the neighbourhood of London, and I have 

 never been able to procure but one of them, which I lost the 

 first winter, by letting it wash too much ; in confinement it 

 requires the same sort of management as recommended for the 

 wo last species, and it will succeed very well. I am not oc- 



