THE REED-WARBLERS. 231 



Range outside the British Islands. The northern limit of the 

 range of the Reed-Warbler in Europe appears to be about 58 N. 

 lat., but the species extends into Southern Sweden ; else- 

 where, below that line, it appears to breed regularly, and appar- 

 ently winters in certain of the Mediterranean countries, and 

 passes through Egypt and Nubia, but its winter quarters in Africa 

 are not yet determined. From the southern part of the 

 Baltic Provinces, according to Dr. Pleske, its breeding range 

 extends across Russia to the government of Kief, and it 

 probably nests in the Crimea, as it certainly does in Trans- 

 ca-casia, the eastern districts of the Volga, and the Ural Moun- 

 tains, the Transcaspian countries to Turkestan, and the 

 southern slopes of the Altai Mountains. Its eastern limit is 

 Baluchistan, and we have seen specimens collected by Mr. 

 Gumming at Fao, on the Persian Gulf. 



Habits. The Reed- Warbler is common enough in summer 

 in the south of England, and is abundant in the Thames 

 Valley ; but, from its retiring habits, it is not often seen. Its 

 song is, however, a constant feature in a walk by the river-side, 

 and is heard not only from the dense reed-beds, but also 

 from the willows and alder-trees, in both of which situations 

 the nest is often built. In fact, we have more often found 

 the nest of the Reed- Warbler in willows near Cookham than 

 in reeds, and it is sometimes placed at a considerable height 

 from the ground. In the south of England, however, in the 

 reed-covered ditches which Mr. Seebohm so well describes as 

 the haunt of the Reed- Warbler in his "History of British Birds," 

 the nest is nearly always suspended between the stems of 

 reeds, and so common is the bird in this locality that he 

 found eleven nests in the course of a couple of hours. 



When the weather is hot and the nights calm, the Reed- 

 Warbler, like the Nightingale, sings nearly through the night, 

 and its song is always more frequently heard towards the 

 twilight. It resembles that of the Sedge- Warbler, and is of 

 the same chattering nature, but is not so loud or so harsh in 

 quality. As a rule, the bird is an inveterate skulker, and 

 seldom quits its retreat, unless driven from it by repeated 

 efforts, and its presence is generally made known only by its 

 song, or by the shaking of the reeds as it hops from one to 



