THE SEDGE WARBLER. 109 



hawthorn, which, at a short distance, is covered 

 with its pearly clusters of blossoms. It is fond, 

 however, of burying itself among the rushes, 

 and is thus oftener heard than seen. One can 

 hardly praise the song as a very sweet one. 

 It is a shrill rapid succession of notes, and is 

 seldom heard from one bird only, for these social 

 creatures are wont to sing in chorus : yet it is a 

 strange wild strain, and in these quiet places has 

 a charm, arising rather from its singularity and 

 pleasant associations, than from its melody. The 

 sedge-bird is considered a sort of mocking bird, as 

 it seems sometimes, though in a rapid and con- 

 fused manner, to be occupied in imitating the 

 song of the skylark, the chirp of the sparrow or the 

 goldfinch, and the twitter of the swallow; some- 

 times introducing, in the midst of these apparent 

 imitations, a deep harsh note, which though faintly 

 resembling the chirr of the whitethroat, yet truly 

 belongs to no bird save our sedge warbler. 



Professor Kennie, though acknowledging some 

 similarity in the notes of this bird's song to those 

 which are supposed to be imitated, considers that 

 they are, notwithstanding, the natural tones of 

 the singer. He remarks : " From the sedge-bird 



