REED WARBLER. 297 



stems, and was taken from a bed of reeds on the side of 

 the Thames, the surface soil of which was covered by 

 water every tide, or twice in each twenty-four hours. 

 The nest is formed of the seed-branches of the reeds and 

 very long grass, wound horizontally round and round, in- 

 cluding the four upright reeds in the substance ; thus 

 forming, with a little wool, the sides of the nest, which 

 frequently measures five inches in depth on the outside, 

 three inches in breadth across the top, and very frequently 

 three inches deep inside ; the lining is formed of very fine 

 grass and long hairs. The nest is made so deep that the 

 eggs do not roll out when the supporting reeds are waved 

 by the wind ; and Montagu observes, that he has seen the 

 bird sitting on her nest when every gust forced it almost 

 to the surface of the water. 



Among the various nests sent me by Mr. J. D. Salmon, 

 was a very beautifully constructed one of this bird, as de- 

 scribed to have been found amongst the reeds adjoining the 

 river near Euston Bridge ; which nest contained four eggs 

 on the 80th of June 1834. This bird sometimes lays five 

 eggs, which are of a greenish white colour, spotted and 

 freckled with ash-green and light brown ; the length nine 

 lines, by six lines and a half in breadth. The young are 

 hatched in July, and quit the nest very soon, hanging and 

 climbing with perfect security among the reeds by their 

 very sharp claws. 



The Reed Warbler is found in Essex, Surrey, and Kent, 

 within a few miles of London ; it is found also in Suffolk, 

 about Sudbury. In Norfolk, one locality has been men- 

 tioned ; and the large fresh waters called the Broads, near 

 Yarmouth, with their numerous islands, reeds, and rank 

 aquatic herbage, are very likely situations to harbour it. 

 Mr. Selby mentions that he had not observed this bird 



