SEDGE WAEBLEE. 75 



It migrates to us the latter part of April, or sometimes 

 later with the season, seldom arriving in Scotland before 

 the beginning of May. The males are believed to arrive 

 before the females. They come in small parties of from two 

 to five or six each. They are late in leaving, some being 

 seen till the middle of October, even in the north of England: 

 one has been observed near High Wycombe, in Buckingham- 

 shire, in winter. 



This is another species of hidling, though not exactly of 

 shy habits, and is most frequently seen if disturbed, for 

 otherwise it keeps to its haunt in the middle of the thick 

 hedge, tall sedge, reeds, or other aquatic plants among which 

 it harbours. This very day on which I am writing, I watched 

 one for some time playing at hide and seek with me, in some 

 large hawthorn bushes which covered the steep bank of a 

 stream, overhanging it almost down to the water's edge; 

 beyond all doubt the nest was there. Now it would fly a few 

 yards off; now, if thinking itself unobserved, slyly return to 

 its place; now sing lustily from some hidden covert, and on 

 a sudden emerge and shew itself; then again descend to the 

 recesses of the thick brake, and so quickly reappear at a 

 little distance, that it would almost seem as if it had flown 

 straight without hindrance through the tangled underwood; 

 once more it would set up its ringing note, a watchman 

 springing his rattle to alarm his household, for such in its 

 small way it closely resembles, and finally disappear from 

 view and from hearing together, unless again disturbed. The 

 hen bird sits close on her nest, and you may often pass 

 close by without her leaving it. If alarmed for her young 

 she evinces great anxiety, moving in and out of the neighbouring 

 cover. These birds are able to be kept in confinement. 



They feed on insects of various kinds, some of which are 

 captured on the wing, and others snatched from the surface 

 of the water; also on worms and small slugs. 



The note, which is heard from the midst of 'the bush,' or 

 when perched on the top of a small branch or spray, as also 

 while flying for some short distance to the next cover, is very 

 powerful for so small a throat, and they sing sometimes in 

 a most violent chiding sort of manner, as if in defiance of 

 approach. The common note is a small shrill cheep, but 

 their song, though somewhat of a chatter, is very lively, and 

 not without a mellow modulation. It is heard at night even 

 as late as twelve o'clock on the fine still summer evenings, 



