LAKE, SWAMP, AND REED BED. 103 



Then there is the Reed Warbler. The late 

 Mr. Gurney positively stated that he not only saw 

 several of these birds at Slapton in May, but 

 that he heard them frequently throughout that 

 month. Mr. Gurney was too competent an 

 observer to be easily mistaken, as all who knew 

 him will at once assert ; whilst so recently as 

 the preceding summer (1898) I was confidently 

 assured by two young naturalists, who appeared 

 to be quite familiar with the species, that the 

 Reed Warbler was certainly to be found at 

 Slapton. Again we must remark that the bird 

 has never come under our notice there, but this 

 of course is negative evidence only. Possibly 

 the Marsh Warbler may have been the species 

 seen ; but if the Reed Warbler does actually visit 

 South Devon, all our previous ideas respecting 

 its distribution in the West of England will have 

 to be modified. The Sedge Warbler, however, 

 is common enough in the fringe of vegetation 

 all round the ley, and its varied song is one of 

 the most characteristic of the place, both by 

 day and by night. Another bird by no means 

 uncommon in the neighbourhood, although often 

 overlooked, is the pretty Reed Bunting. We have 



