HEED WAEBLEE. 79 



Migratory in its habits, it arrives here generally the end 

 of April or the beginning of the month of May, and leaves 

 us again about the commencement of September. 



I have been favoured by J. Gr. Bonney, Esq., of Rugeley, 

 Staffordshire, with a full account of the habits of this bird. 

 Wherever it does occur it is found in that part of England 

 in great abundance. It is rather shy, and loves to ensconce 

 itself among reeds, where, eschewing the advice so often 

 inculcated in early life on another species, it is for the most 

 part heard but not seen. It is almost continually on the 

 move, running rapidly up and down the tall stems, and 

 hopping about from one to another with great agility. It 

 frequents places where such trees and plants as willows, reeds, 

 and rushes abound. 



It may be kept in confinement, and in that state has 

 been heard by Mr. Sweet to sing occasionally all the winter. 

 Mr. Meyer has known it build close to the town of Chertsey. 



Its food consists of various water insects and their larvae, 

 worms, slugs, and the smaller dragon-flies: the winged kinds 

 are sometimes hovered for and taken on the surface of the 

 water, or carefully searched after among the stems and 

 branches of the willows and aquatic plants in its resorts. 



Its ordinary note is rapidly hurried, harsh, loud, garrulous, 

 and unmusical, uttered almost incessantly when its nest is 

 supposed to be in any danger a mere 'kurrrrrrr.' It has 

 been likened by Mr. Bonney to the words 'chree, que, treet,' 

 repeated without any order. The song of the one just now 

 mentioned is described as very variable, consisting of a great 

 number of notes, and sung with many changes of voice, so 

 diversified as to resemble the song of several different birds. 

 It appears to be heard at night, and is chiefly uttered from 

 the midst of the dense foliage the 'locus in quo' the bird 

 secretes itself. 



The nest is a very artistical piece of work, and is generally 

 placed between three, four, or five stems of the common 

 reed that grow near to one another, at a height commonly 

 of about three feet above the water, but one has been known 

 as much as nine feet from the ground. To these the self- 

 taught architect fastens the cordage that supports her tent, 

 twining and interlacing it, that is, part of the materials of 

 which it is composed, round and round them at intervals, 

 until the whole is firmly fixed, not so firmly however but 

 that the reeds may be easily slipped out without injuring 



