72 THE BIRDS OF SHERWOOD FOREST. 



in some parts of the forest, heard its stridulous note so 

 constantly, and, in addition, have obtained the bird 

 itself, that I am perfectly satisfied it is not by any 

 means rare ; and yet I have never been successful 

 enough to discover the nest. Many times have I 

 watched the birds with the utmost caution in the hope 

 of tracing the female in her approaches to her eggs, but 

 the habit of forming a covered jpjtssage has increased the 

 difficulty, and I have always been disappointed in my 

 endeavours. They generally arrive about the latter end 

 of April but I have known a specimen obtained on the 

 ] 3th of that month and leave us again at the beginning 

 of September. 



Amongst the common birds, the Sedge Warbler (S. 

 Phragmitis) is conspicuous, and its fearless and gar- 

 rulous habits render it very amusing. That which 

 would frighten away another bird only has the effect of 

 exciting it to louder outbreaks of noisy mirth, sometimes 

 uttered as though in defiance of all coiners, It chieflv 

 frequents the neighbourhood of our various small streams, 

 though I have known its nest placed at some distance 

 from water. The bottom of a hedge bordering a stream 

 is a favourite position, where the long grass and weeds 

 have formed a friendly screen. I have seen a nest in a 

 very different place viz., on the head of a pollard 

 willow, several large tufts of grass which had there 

 taken root in the partially decayed wood, effectually 

 concealing it from the observation of any one on the 

 ground ; and I, perchance, should not have discovered it 

 had I not one day, when fishing, climbed the tree to free 

 my artificial flies from a bough in which they had 

 hooked. 



The song of the sedge warbler is a kind of medley, 



