GRASSHOPPER WARBLER. 345 



*7 inch, and in breadth from *55 to '5 inch. The number ranges from 

 four to seven. 



The general colour of the upper part of this bird is olive-brown, but 

 sometimes it approaches russet-brown ; each feather has an obscure dark 

 centre, which becomes nearly obsolete on the sides of the neck and on the 

 longest upper tail- coverts. The outer webs of the quills and tail-feathers 

 are edged with olive-brown, most conspicuously so on the innermost 

 secondaries. The chin and the centre of the belly are nearly white, which 

 shades into huffish brown on the breast, flanks, thighs, and under tail- 

 coverts, most of the latter having dark brown centres. Bill dark brown 

 above, pale horn colour below ; legs, feet, and claws pale brown ; irides 

 hazel. 



In birds of the year the whole of the underparts are more or less suffused 

 with yellow, and many of the feathers of the throat and flanks have dark 

 centres. A slight tinge of yellow on the underparts, and some of the 

 pectoral streaks are frequently found in young birds after their first spring 

 moult. 



It is very difficult to form a diagnosis which may always distinguish the 

 Grasshopper Warbler from its two very near allies; but L. straminea 

 appears always to have a more rounded wing than the other two. The 

 second primary is always shorter than the fourth, and frequently shorter 

 than the fifth ; whilst in the other two species it is sometimes equal in 

 length to the third and sometimes only to the fourth, but is never shorter 

 than the fourth. L. lanceolata may usually be distinguished by having the 

 general colour of the upper parts russet-brown instead of olive-brown ; 

 but in a large series the most russet examples of L. locustella are un- 

 distinguishable in colour from the least russet examples of L. lanceolata. 

 As regards the spotting on the under surface, the breast is generally 

 spotted in L. lanceolata and occasionally slightly so in the other two 

 species. The flanks are spotted sometimes in L. locustella, generally in 

 L. straminea, and always in L. lanceolata ; whilst the under tail-coverts 

 are always spotted in L. straminea, and generally so in the other two 

 species. 



