108 OUR natbt: songsters. 



may wander fearlessly over those green meadows. 

 War has not come hither to scare the birds, as it 

 came once on the plains of Waterloo, scaring 

 them so effectually, that for long years after, their 

 music resounded no more from the neighbouring 

 forest. But he wlio will rise up at the voice of 

 the bird now, and come to their quiet retreats by 

 the still rivers, sliall hear the tune of the untiring 

 songsters some of whom have not been silent 

 even during the niglit, but have sung their glad- 

 ness to the moon and stars. 



Such a bird is the Sedge Warbler* {Saltcaria 

 phragmitls)^ whose song may be heard by day or 

 night in such a scene as we have described. This 

 is a decidedly aquatic species, and is very abun- 

 dant on the sides of rivers, or on marshy or boggy 

 land, in every part of our island. There it hides 

 mider the covert of the reeds, or among the 

 sharp sword-like leaves of the flowering rush ; 

 or it settles on the willow bough or on the 



* The Sedge Warbler is four inches and three-quarters in 

 length. Upper parts reddish-brown, clouded and streaked with 

 darker ; wing quills and tail dark brown ; head streaked with 

 blackish, and marked over each eye with a cream-coloured band ; 

 throat white, becoming buff on the breast and belly ; beak and 

 feet pale brown. 



